Stop storing passwords in Excel, Word, or text files. Transition to encrypted password managers that utilize zero-knowledge architecture.
: Instructs Google to only return results for Microsoft Excel files (older .xls format). filetype xls inurl password.xls
By default, Google searches are case-insensitive, so "Password.xls" and "PASSWORD.XLS" will also appear. However, the operator inurl does not support wildcards, so password*.xls would not work—but the fixed name is already highly specific. Stop storing passwords in Excel, Word, or text files
This query is a (or Google Hacking query) designed to find specific, improperly secured files on public web servers. Stop storing passwords in Excel
While exact instances of exposed password.xls files are often quickly removed after discovery, several public breaches have involved similar patterns. Here are illustrative (anonymized) scenarios:
