What would happen if competitors hacked your computer files? Would they find valuable info that could torpedo your efforts and give them the edge with your customers?

It’s a legitimate concern in today’s marketplace, and password hacking is easier than it used to be.

How do they do it?

It’s not magic. The best way to crack passwords and get in, experts say, is to use names or words that are important to the targeted person (wife, son, daughter, etc.). Other favorites include slang words and keyboard sequences (like qwerty).

What about your password? Is it safe?

A recent survey of 32 million exposed passwords revealed the top 10 most-common passwords:

1. 123456

2. 12345

3. 123456789

4. password

5. iloveyou

6. princess

7. rockyou

8. 1234567

9. 12345678

10. abc123

Uh-oh. Any of those sound familiar?

Even if your password didn’t make the list, experts strongly urge people to have different passwords for work accounts and social network accounts like Facebook.

Have you ever encountered a situation where an easy-to-crack password stirred up trouble for Sales or Marketing? Let us know in the Comments Box below.

Tags: competitors, Facebook, passwords, Top 10