These days there are so many sites and accounts you need to log into that it is hard to think of new, unique passwords. So often, when it comes down to creating a new password people either use the same password over and over again or create easy to remember passwords (or both).
USENET newsgroups have recently posted an article from SplashData, which annually compiles the list of the worst and weakest passwords that people are still using despite the frequent warnings and advice from authorities and others, has released 2011′s top 25 worst passwords. Although the list was compiled after millions of stolen passwords published by hackers and others were combed through, many suggest that a significant fraction of these passwords is a result of laziness rather than a lack of creativity or the availability of 30 good seconds.
The full list is posted below:
- 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
Combining letters and numbers is a good tactic for selecting strong passwords, but not when it’s “abc123,” “passw0rd” or “trustno1.” Attackers can easily brute-force their way into accounts by repeatedly trying common passwords, said Morgan Slain, CEO of SplashData. While some sites lock out users after too many incorrect attempts, some, such as Amazon, don’t, giving attackers all the time they need.
If developing a good, random password is proving difficult for you, check out the following URL: http://www.strongpasswordgenerator.com. This site will generate a secure password and provide a mnemonic to help you remember the complex sequence of characters, numbers and symbols
A study conducted in 2007 by Microsoft found that each person has around 25 different passwords and codes, and uses about eight of these on a daily basis.
Estimates are that this number has increased the past four years with the increased need of consumers to access secure sites.
