SplashData has announced its annual list of the 25 most common passwords found on the Internet, which revealed that “123456″ is the worst password to use.

This year’s list was influenced by the large number of passwords from Adobe users posted online by security consulting firm Stricture Consulting Group following Adobe’s well publicized security breach.

“Seeing passwords like ‘adobe123′ and ‘photoshop’ on this list offers a good reminder not to base your password on the name of the website or application you are accessing,” said Morgan Slain, CEO of SplashData.

SplashData releases its annual list in an effort to encourage the adoption of stronger passwords.

SplashData’s top 25 list was compiled from files containing millions of stolen passwords posted online during the previous year. The “Worst Passwords of 2013” are below:

1. 123456
2. password
3. 12345678
4. qwerty
5. abc123
6. 123456789
7. 111111
8. 1234567
9. iloveyou
10. adobe123
11. 123123
12. admin
13. 1234567890
14. letmein
15. photoshop
16. 1234
17. monkey
18. shadow
19. sunshine
20. 12345
21. password1
22. princess
23. azerty
24. trustno1
25. 000000

SplashData suggests making passwords more secure with these tips:

• Use passwords of eight characters or more with mixed types of characters.
• Passwords with common substitutions like “dr4mat1c” can be vulnerable to attackers’ increasingly sophisticated technology.
• Create more secure passwords that are easy to recall by using passphrases – short words with spaces or other characters separating them. It’s best to use random words rather than common phrases. E.g. “cakes years birthday” or “smiles_light_skip?”.
• Avoid using the same username/password combination for multiple websites. Use different passwords for each new website or service you sign up for.
• With many different strong passwords, try using a password manager application that organizes and protects passwords and can automatically log you into websites.
• There are numerous applications available, but choose one with a strong track record of reliability and security like SplashID Safe, which has a 10 year history and over 1 million users. SplashID Safe has versions available for Windows and Mac as well as smartphones and tablet devices.

Have you used any foolish passwords in 2013 that led to your online security downfall? Let us know in the comments below.

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