SplashData has just released a list of the 25 most commonly used passwords, and it looks like 'password' has been unseated and now occupies only the second place. The worst password of 2013 is '123456.'
The third most popular password this year is '12345678,' followed by 'qwerty' and 'abc123.' A new password has joined the ranks and was tracked at the #6 place: '123456789.'
At the #7 place is '111111,' followed by '1234567' and 'iloveyou." Another new password, 'adobe123,' joins the list at the #10 mark, followed by '123123' which is up by 5 places from last year.
Two more new passwords grabbed the 12th and 13th spots, which are 'admin' and '1234567890,' respectively. 'letmein' drops 7 places to #14, while another new entrant, 'photoshop,' enters the list at #15, and yet another new one, '1234,' emerges at #16.
'monkey' plummets down 11 places to #17, 'shadow' remains at #18, and 'sunshine' is down by 5 places to #19. Another new entrant to the list is '12345' which is ranked 20th place.
'password1' is up 4 places to #21. 'princess' and 'azerty' are new entrants at #22 and #23, respectively, and 'trustno1" plunges 12 places to the 24th place. Another new entrant, '000000,' claims the 25th place.
The results of this list have been compiled from files containing millions of stolen passwords posted online during the previous year. Of course, it follows that anyone who sees their password in this list are advised to change their password immediately - to something that is not on this list.
SplashData highly recommends that passwords be composed of a passphrases, or short words with spaces or other characters separating them, such as, "this&is#beavis' or 'who%moved_my@cheese." This makes it easy for the owner and legitimate users of the account to remember, and at the same time makes it difficult for those trying to illegally gain access to the account. SplashData also advises against the use of the same password for multiple accounts.
The company, which is a leading provider of password management applications for over a decade, has been coming up with this annual list in an attempt to create more awareness about managing online security. "As always, we hope that with more publicity about how risky it is to use weak passwords, more people will start taking simple steps to protect themselves by using stronger passwords and using different passwords for different websites," SplashData said.
