Using The Password 'Admin123' Wasn't As Bad As Sharing It On Slack
The Register, Thursday, April 23rd, 2026
A software client's data loss resulted from using the weak password 'admin123' and sharing it on Slack.
A software development client prioritized convenience over security by using the weak password 'admin123' for both staging and production environments and shared it in a Slack channel for easy access. According to NordPass, 'admin123' is the 10th most common password worldwide, making it an extremely poor security choice.
A former contractor later logged in and triggered a complete data wipe, resulting in significant data loss despite the client having spent over $30,000 on security tools. The incident highlights how human laziness and ignoring basic security practices - such as using unique passwords, implementing role-based access, and removing access for former employees - can create critical vulnerabilities. The company that hired the contractor later implemented forced credential rotation and role-based access, which reduced unauthorized access attempts by 60 percent in three months.