SplashData revealed yesterday its top ’25 Worst Passwords of the Year’ for 2011. Including simple popular passwords such as “password” or “123456” it’s pretty clear as to why these passwords are the worst when it comes to Internet security. Suggesting individuals as well as companies that use those passwords to change them immediately, SplashData explains that a higher security password will prevent malicious email and software hacks.
The list of the most common passwords on the Internet include:
password
123456
12345678
qwerty
abc123
monkey
1234567
letmein
trustno1
dragon
baseball
111111
iloveyou
master
sunshine
ashley
bailey
passw0rd
shadow
123123
654321
superman
qazwsx
michael
football
As you can see most are simple numbers or words. SplashData compiled its list from millions of stolen passwords that have been already posted by hackers online.
"Hackers," said SplashData CEO Morgan Slain, "can easily break into many accounts just by repeatedly trying common passwords. Even though people are encouraged to select secure, strong passwords, many people continue to choose weak, easy-to-guess ones, placing themselves at risk from fraud and identity theft," Slain said. "What you don't want is a password that is easily guessable. If you have a password that is short or common or a word in the dictionary, it's like leaving your door open for identity thieves."