London – If you have chosen the easily guessable combination 1234 as the PIN to protect your worldly savings, you’re not alone.
A survey conducted by data analysts DataGenetics has revealed that one in 10 Britons chose that very combination to give them access to their bank accounts.
That’s the equivalent of 6.2 million people lacking inspiration and alarmingly willing to leave their assets vulnerable to thieves.
A further 7 percent opt for the equally obvious combinations 1111 or 0000.
Indeed, a staggering 26 percent of all PIN codes can be guessed from the top 20 most commonly chosen combinations.
There are 10 000 four-digit combinations, yet we persist in selecting the most obvious ones.
It seems fear of forgetting our PIN numbers and losing access to our accounts far outweighs any security worries. Many people use the year they were born, while the commoner than average combination 1984 suggests quite a few people have a soft spot for the George Orwell novel… big bother if someone guesses it.
The 22nd most popular combination used was 2580 – the four numbers which run down the centre of a telephone key pad.
And the next most common combination is borrowed from popular culture. Taking inspiration from James Bond (who would surely be more careful), a disproportionate number of people chose 0007.
DataGenetics found the least used combination was 8068. Just 25 out of 3.4 million of the survey subjects had chosen it.
Here’s a solution: pick numbers at random and change them often – but will you remember the most recent combination? – Daily Mail