The top 10 unsafe passwords for internet users

One of the banes of using the internet is the myriad passwords you need to create to log in and out of your various accounts. If you’re diligent, you likely have a different password for all your major accounts, including online banking, utilities, social media and email, but if you’re like millions of other – lazier – internet users, you choose convenience over security. 

Password management provider, SplashData, gathered information from 5 million leaked passwords in North America and Western Europe to reveal their annual Worst Passwords of the Year list and it paints a grim picture for internet security.

Millions of people are choosing to use the same password for all their accounts, or using incredibly common passwords that are easy for hackers to break through. 

So what’s the dodgiest password of all? Once again, “123456” topped the list, with “Password” coming in at a close second. The same two passwords topped the list last year. 

Other passwords to make the top 10 included, “Qwerty”, “Letmein” and “Football”. According to SplashData, almost 10 per cent of internet users have used at least one of the passwords on the list.

The top 10 list includes:

1. 123456
2. Password
3. 12345678
4. Qwerty
5. 12345
6. 123456789
7. Letmein
8. 1234567
9. Football
10. Iloveyou

Queensland Police has urged internet users to change their passwords to avoid the danger of online hackers. They suggest resetting passwords to include at least 12 characters with symbols such as @, #, $ placed in random spots. 

“It may be harder to remember, but consider the alternative,” the police service said. “Losing your personal data, account details or a sum of money is much more inconvenient in the long run.” 

Read More: Why you need to change your computer passwords NOW

When creating a new password, you should avoid using names, personal information, common words and most of all – reusing passwords. If a hacker can access one account, they can access them all. Hackers also know that most passwords will begin with a capital letter and most are name based.

To help you remember your passwords you can try creating ambiguous questions or phrases that relate to the passwords for each account. This way the word isn’t written down, but it will help to jog your memory.

Queensland Police released their warning after being bombarded with cases of financial fraud and online scams that could have been avoided if there were stronger password protection.

Is your password safe? Are you careful to choose complicated passwords?