SplashData has recently released its annual list of the most common passwords used on the Internet and posted by hackers, revealing that “password”, “123456” and “12345678” are the most common passwords in the world.
SplashData’s top passwords list was compiled from files containing millions of stolen passwords posted online by hackers.
Online gaming accounts are often targeted by hackers who use such lists to gain access. This can be particularly heart-breaking for a gamer who loses hours of game progress and all their character inventory when a hacker gets in and steals everything.
“In a year with several high profile password hacking incidents at major sites including Yahoo, LinkedIn, eHarmony, and Last.fm, SplashData’s list of frequently used passwords shows that many people continue to put themselves at risk by using weak, easily guessable passwords,” the company said in a press statement.
Here is SplashData’s “Worst Passwords of 2012” list, including their current ranking and any changes from the 2011 list:
- password (Unchanged)
- 123456 (Unchanged)
- 12345678 (Unchanged)
- abc123 (Up 1)
- qwerty (Down 1)
- monkey (Unchanged)
- letmein (Up 1)
- dragon (Up 2)
- 111111 (Up 3)
- baseball (Up 1)
- iloveyou (Up 2)
- trustno1 (Down 3)
- 1234567 (Down 6)
- sunshine (Up 1)
- master (Down 1)
- 123123 (Up 4)
- welcome (New)
- shadow (Up 1)
- ashley (Down 3)
- football (Up 5)
- jesus (New)
- michael (Up 2)
- ninja (New)
- mustang (New)
- password1 (New)
SplashData advises those using any of the passwords on the list to change them immediately.
“Even though each year hacking tools get more sophisticated, thieves still tend to prefer easy targets,” SplashData said. “Just a little bit more effort in choosing better passwords will go a long way toward making you safer online.”
SplashData suggests making passwords more secure with these tips:
- Use passwords of eight characters or more with mixed types of characters. One way to create longer, more secure passwords that are easy to remember is to use short words with spaces or other characters separating them. For example, “eat cake at 8!” or “car_park_city?”
- Avoid using the same username/password combination for multiple websites. Especially risky is using the same password for entertainment sites that you do for online e-mail, social networking, and financial services. Use different passwords for each new website or service you sign up for.
- Having trouble remembering all those different passwords? Try using a password manager application that organizes and protects passwords and can automatically log you into websites.
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