With so many passwords to remember for everything from checking emails to unlocking your phone, it may seem tempting to use an obvious and unforgettable security word or phrase.
And if you’re guilty of doing this, you’re not alone.
A report has revealed that ‘123456’ was the most popular credential last year, followed by ‘password.’
The most used passwords of last year were also the most insecure, causing security experts to urge users to pick less obvious login details to keep their information safe.
The remaining top five most popular passwords were ‘12345’, ‘12345678’ and ‘qwerty’ according to SplashData, which develops password management software
The company, which is based in Los Gatos, California, analysed files containing millions of stolen passwords posted online during the previous year.
As well as lazy number and letter combinations that can be entered with a swipe of the thumb, it also noticed ‘easily guessable’ passwords such as ‘letmein,’ ‘football’ and ‘batman’ were included in its top 25 worst pins.
WORST PASSWORDS OF 2014
- 123456
- password
- 12345
- 12345678
- qwerty
- 1234567890
- 1234
- baseball
- dragon
- football
- 1234567
- monkey
- letmein
- abc123
- 111111
- mustang
- access
- shadow
- master
- michael
- superman
- 696969
- 123123
- batman
- trustno1
