“Password” is no longer the worst password with “123456,” the traditional runner up, taking the top spot, according to SplashData, provider of password management systems.
The 2013 list was influenced by the large number of passwords from Adobe users posted online by security consulting firm Stricture Consulting Group following Adobe’s security breach.
The list of frequently used passwords shows that many people continue to have risky password behavior online by using weak, easily guessable passwords.
Some other passwords in the Top Ten include “qwerty,” “abc123,” “111111,” and “iloveyou.”
Here’s the chart:
and the full list:
1. 123456 (Up 1 from last year)
2. password (Down 1)
3. 12345678 (Unchanged)
4. qwerty (Up 1)
5. abc123 (Down 1)
6. 123456789 (New)
7. 111111 (Up 2)
8. 1234567 (Up 5)
9. iloveyou (Up 2)
10. adobe123 (New)
11. 123123 (Up 5)
12. Admin (New)
13. 1234567890 (New)
14. letmein (Down 7)
15. photoshop (New)
16. 1234 (New)
17. monkey (Down 11)
18. shadow (Unchanged)
19. sunshine (Down 5)
20. 12345 (New)
21. password1 (Up 4)
22. princess (New)
23. azerty (New)
24. trustno1 (Down 12)
25. 000000 (New)
One way to create more secure passwords that are easy to recall is to use passphrases — short words with spaces or other characters separating them. It’s best to use random words rather than common phrases.
For example, “cakes years birthday” or “smiles_light_skip?”The company suggests making passwords more secure with these tips. Use passwords of eight characters or more with mixed types of characters.
But even passwords with common substitutions like “dr4mat1c” can be vulnerable to attackers’ increasingly sophisticated technology, and random combinationslike “j%7K&yPx$” can be difficult to remember.
This blog entry is based upon reportage by SecureID News.
Chris M Skinner
Chris Skinner is best known as an independent commentator on the financial markets through his blog, TheFinanser.com, as author of the bestselling book Digital Bank, and Chair of the European networking forum the Financial Services Club. He has been voted one of the most influential people in banking by The Financial Brand (as well as one of the best blogs), a FinTech Titan (Next Bank), one of the Fintech Leaders you need to follow (City AM, Deluxe and Jax Finance), as well as one of the Top 40 most influential people in financial technology by the Wall Street Journal's Financial News. To learn more click here...
