
Re/code has recently released 2014’s most popular list of leaked passwords that were gathered by SplashData. Can you guess which password topped the list as the most popular, but was also the weakest? If you guessed ‘123456,’ then you were spot on. It was reported that the second most popular password was ‘12345,’ followed by ‘12345678,’ and finally ‘qwerty.’ Back in 2013, ‘123456’ and ‘password’ were two of the most used. According to Re/code,
“Passwords based on simple patterns on your keyboard remain popular despite how weak they are," said Morgan Slain, CEO of SplashData. "Any password using numbers alone should be avoided, especially sequences. As more websites require stronger passwords or combinations of letters and numbers, longer keyboard patterns are becoming common passwords, and they are still not secure."
SplashData apparently looked into 3.3 million passwords that were leaked in 2014 and found plenty of passwords in which he suggested to steer clear of. Some that made the list included ‘1qaz2wsx’, ‘qwertyuiop,’ favorite sports teams like Lakers, Rangers, and Steelers made the top 100 list, and sports terms baseball and football made the top 10 list. Words like soccer, hockey, and golfer also made the top 100 list. SplashData also suggested that users not use birth years, birthdays, swear words, car brands, and names for their passwords.
Do you fall in the category of having one of these passwords? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: SplashData via Re/code
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