A survey of 750 Americans conducted by Security.org found that 14 percent are using coronavirus-related terms in their passwords.
The annual report on password strategies stated that passwords often include topical issues. In addition to COVID-19, the U.S. presidential election is another hot topic, with around 10 percent using candidate names.
Individuals also often use personal data when creating passwords. According to the survey, 16 percent of Americans use their birth year and the same number use their pet's name in their passwords. Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead "14% of Americans Using COVID in Online Passwords, New Survey Reveals" smallbiztrends.com (Oct. 25, 2020).