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SplashData compiled more than 3.3 million leaked passwords during the year and highlighted ‘123456’ and ‘password’ as the top two passwords that users have held each year since the first list in 2011. Other passwords in the top 10 include ‘qwerty,’ ‘dragon,’ and ‘football.’
As in past years' lists, simple numerical passwords remain common, with nine of the top 25 passwords on the 2014 list comprised of numbers only. Passwords appearing for the first time on SplashData's list include ‘696969’ and ‘batman. While Valentine's Day is less than a month away, "iloveyou" is one of the nine passwords from 2013 to fall off the 2014 list.
The passwords evaluated for the 2014 list were mostly held by users in North America and Western Europe, says SplashData. In 2014, millions of passwords from Russian accounts were also leaked, but these passwords were not included in the analysis. SplashData's list of frequently used passwords shows that many people continue to put themselves at risk by using weak, easily guessable passwords.
Users should avoid a sequence such as ‘qwertyuiop,’ which is the top row of letters on a standard keyboard, or ‘1qaz2wsx’ which comprises the first two 'columns' of numbers and letters on a keyboard, says SplashData.
Tips by SplashData
1. Use passwords of eight characters or more with mixed types of characters.
2. Avoid using the same username/password combination for multiple websites.
3. Use a password manager such as SplashID to organize and protect passwords, generate random passwords, and automatically log into websites.
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