Using Your Pet’s Name As A Password? Here’s Why You Might Want To Change It

Like many devoted pet parents, I have definitely been guilty of using my cat’s name for a lot of passwords — even for the accounts with super sensitive info. (I know, I know.) And since I obviously post about my adorable kitty on social media all the time, a hacker with my e-mail address would have pretty much no trouble guessing my not-so-secure password. But as someone who can barely remember what I had for breakfast every day, I’m not thrilled about memorizing a complicated, unique login for every single site.

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That’s where Aura comes in. The all-in-one cybersecurity platform understands that pet owners are likely to use their beloved animal’s name as a password; in fact, the company did a survey of over 1,800 pet parents and found that 39% log in using their furry friend’s name. What’s more, the survey found that 48% of people who use their pet’s name as a password also post their animal’s name on social media, making it even easier for cybercriminals to sneak in. To help prevent people from being easy targets for cybercrime, Aura’s password manager promises to boost security by creating strong, unique passwords for each of your online accounts and storing them in one protected platform.

“People tend to create passwords that are both meaningful and easy to memorize and use across various platforms. However, simplicity and ease of use does not mean that a password is effectively protecting your personal information,” said Kelly Merryman, president and COO of Aura. “Strong, unique passwords are the most important — and sometimes only — protection we have against hackers.”

In addition to creating hard-to-crack passwords, Aura will alert you to security breaches so you can lock things down right away. And for sites with your most sensitive info, like online checking accounts and credit cards, you can choose to have Aura automatically update your credentials in the event of a breach to minimize the chances of cybercrime.

Aura also goes beyond managing passwords and protects other areas of your digital life. For instance, the company will send you real-time alerts on suspicious credit inquiries and monitor your Social Security number and bank accounts. And if robocalls are the bane of your existence, Aura will work to get your data removed from spam lists so you’re more likely to get calls from people you actually want to talk to. You’ll also get a military-grade VPN and antivirus protection for your devices.

If this sounds helpful, you can try Aura for free for two weeks. The company offers plans for individuals, couples, and families, and each option comes with 24/7 customer support. You can also check out some tips on creating stronger passwords.

And before you try changing your password on your own, keep in mind that birthdays, anniversaries, family member names, and your favorite sports teams are also super common (and easily guessed) options. Logging in with a string of random letters and numbers has never sounded better.