Personal Identification Numbers, also known as PIN codes, have been the method of security and protection in accessing devices and services as important as our smartphone or bank account for years.
Although there are times when we draw a blank and despite having entered it hundreds of times, we forget this code of just four digits, with technological advances, cybercrime is managing to decipher them relatively easily.
And if we think about it, being four digits there are 10,000 possibilities to choose from, and although they may seem like many, the truth is that it is not that much. In fact, a study conducted by a former data scientist from Facebook discovered that one out of every four bank card PINs can be obtained by trying just 20 numbers.
The 10 most common PINs and therefore the easiest to guess
- 1234
- 1111
- 0000
- 1212
- 7777
- 1004
- 2000
- 4444
- 2222
- 6969
This list has been compiled from a sample of 3.4 million PINs from different security breaches, and what is most striking is that the 20 most repeated combinations are also 27% of all PIN codes.
Tips before creating a new PIN: combinations to avoid
- We should always avoid repeating the same number, combinations like 1111, 3333, 5555, are always the first option attackers try.
- ‘1234’ or ‘4321’ this combination accounts for almost 11% of global passwords.
- Avoid using the date of birth in any of its formats.
- Do not use numerical combinations with cultural meaning, that is, something like 0007 (James Bond) or 1984 (George Orwell’s book).
