Observed Signal · Oct 3, 2026 · Report · Source: Horizont · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Schalke Top in Worst Football Passwords Ranking
The German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom has published a negative ranking of the most commonly used passwords related to football clubs. The name 'Schalke04' emerged as the most frequently found football-related password in Germany, with approximately 539,000 instances, followed by 'Schalke04' with 203,000. Other clubs like Hannover 96 and BVB also appear high on the list. The ranking is based on passwords that were stolen by cybercriminals and offered on dark web channels, which Telekom's security division discovered and warned customers about. The list also highlights other simple passwords such as 'abc123' and 'password1' as highly common and insecure. Telekom advises users to avoid such simple passwords and considers passwords a legacy concept, recommending the use of passkeys as a more secure authentication method.
Minor news about password security with football-related passwords; relevance to AdTech is indirect, focusing on user security practices.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Deutsche Telekom published a negative ranking of football-related passwords.
- The password 'schalke04' was found approximately 539,000 times in Germany.
- Other simple passwords like 'abc123' and 'password1' were found over 1 million times each.
- Telekom recommends using passkeys instead of traditional passwords.
- The ranking is based on passwords offered on illegal dark web channels.
Connected Companies & Entities
1 Entity mapped“Die Deutsche Telekom veröffentlichte ein Negativ-Ranking von Passwörtern der vergangenen Jahre......”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
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One in Nine German Internet Users Hit by Cybercrime
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ElevenLabs valuation doubles to $22B in tender offer
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Deutsche Telekom, Cloudflare Expand Strategic Partnership
Deutsche Telekom and Cloudflare are expanding their collaboration through a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening security, resilience, and performance of digital infrastructure for European enterprises. Telekom will integrate Cloudflare's Connectivity Cloud into its business customer portfolio and connect its networks directly with Cloudflare's global platform. T-Systems will play a central role in consulting, implementation, and operation, with staff being certified to offer managed security services. The partnership includes technical network interconnection for improved end-to-end quality and availability, and a focus on developing new security approaches, including quantum-resistant cryptography. For Cloudflare, this provides broader access to the European enterprise market, while Telekom expands its cloud and security offerings. The collaboration is broader than a pure sales partnership, encompassing network integration, managed services, and joint technology development.
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