After a year of high-profile security breaches, including a massive leak of Adobe user account details, it is evident that a huge number of users continue to put themselves at risk online by choosing easy-to-remember but highly unsecure passwords. SplashData's list was compiled after combing through millions of passwords leaked or posted online following security breaches in 2013.
Many of the top 25 weak passwords are as short as four characters, use simple sequences of only numbers or characters, or are simply the names of the websites or services that the user has signed up for. "qwerty" takes the number four spot, while "iloveyou" is at number nine.
The annual worst passwords list is a way to spread public awareness about password security.
SplashData, which sells password management software, recommends the use of a strong password manager that can automatically log in to websites, allowing users to create strong passwords that they don't have to remember. Other common-sense tips include avoiding number-letter substitutions such as "p4s$w0rd", and avoiding the same username and password combinations across multiple services.
SplashData suggests using longer strings of random characters, always mixing numbers with letters and symbols, and using long phrases consisting of multiple words and spaces.
Here is the full list of the 25 most common passwords for 2013:
1. 123456
2. password
3. 12345678
4. qwerty
5. abc123
6. 123456789
7. 111111
8. 1234567
9. iloveyou
10. adobe123
11. 123123
12. admin
13. 1234567890
14. letmein
15. photoshop
16. 1234
17. monkey
18. shadow
19. sunshine
20. 12345
21. password1
22. princess
23. azerty
24. trustno1
25. 000000
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