The 25 worst passwords of 2011

Arlene Stacey | December 21st, 2011

Computer security firm SplashData, Inc. has compiled a list of the worst passwords of the year, noting how easy it is for hackers to break into accounts that use these common words.

CEO Morgan Slain said, “Hackers 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. 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. Even though thieves have more sophisticated hacking tools at their disposal today than ever before, they still tend to prefer easy targets. Just a little bit more sophistication in choosing passwords will go a long way toward making you safer online.”

The list was compiled from files containing millions of stolen passwords hackers posted online. If you are using any of the passwords in the following list it is strongly advised that you change it immediately:

  • 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

Some tips to ensure your password is strong include creating a password with at least eight characters – using uppercase, lowercase and numbers throughout — avoiding using the same password for different websites, and using a password manager if you are worried about forgetting your passwords.

You can also check if your password may have been compromised and needs updating at ShouldIChangeMyPassword.com.

Source: cbc.ca, splashdata.com 

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