Worst Passwords of 2014

Worst Passwords of 2014 List has been released.

SplashData has released its annual list of Worst Passwords to hit the Internet in 2014. One would think that with all the reported data breaches from retail giants such as Target and Home Depot, people would be more self-aware about their choice in passwords, but in reviewing just the Top 10, you can only shake your head and ask, “Why?”

It should come as no surprise, though. People like simple and easy to remember passwords. Muscle memory, easy key placement, and commonly typed words or phrases are among the top choices on how people decide what to make their passwords.

“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.”

Here is SplashData’s Top 10 Worst Passwords of 2014:

1. 123456
2. password
3. 12345
4. 12345678
5. qwerty
6. 123456789
7. 1234
8. baseball
9. dragon
10. football

A couple of parting tips to help in deciding what to use as a password:

Don’t use a favorite sport or team name. If I drive by your home and can tell you’re a Michigan fan, I would bet that “Michigan” is used in more than one of your passwords.

Stay as far away from family names and birthdays as possible. Hackers usually start by trying children’s names and birthdays.

(Image Source: iCLIPART)