KXL: The 25 Worst Passwords

Just in time for the Holiday shopping season...

Once again, the list of 25 worst passwords is out and the results (as Rebecca asked: "How many years have we been talking about this?") are still somewhat surprising.

1. password
2. 123456
3.12345678
4. qwerty
5. abc123
6. monkey
7. 1234567
8. letmein
9. trustno1
10. dragon
11. baseball
12. 111111
13. iloveyou
14. master
15. sunshine
16. ashley
17. bailey
18. passw0rd
19. shadow
20. 123123
21. 654321
22. superman
23. qazwsx
24. michael
25. football

If your password is on the list (or could be), here are some quick tips to choosing a good password:

• Make it easy for you to remember but hard to guess.
  
• Use a phrase, lyric, or quote rather than word or simple numbers.
  
• Add capitalization, punctuation, and symbols.
  
• Change your passwords regularly and when you suspect compromise.
  
• Do not give your login information to anyone (especially over the phone!).

Do you have additional tips? Have you had your accounts hacked? Leave a comment below... and thanks for joining us on FM News 101 KXL.

KGW: Five Facebook Privacy Settings To Check Now

Many of us use Facebook every day.

But do we really know what information the social media giant is sharing with others?

I recently spoke with KGW-TV (NBC/Portland) Reporter Abbey Gibb about some of the most important settings and how to protect what others see about you.

Few take advantage of the updated security options - possibly because users aren't even aware they're available.

Of course, the tip not listed if you really don't want your information out there? Don't share it on the web at all.

For more perspective on this, or any tech story, drop Brian an email: techexpert AT brianwestbrook DOT com.