The worst password in the world. Over 4 million people use it
9:11 AM EST, November 17, 2023
NordPass recently released a report on cybersecurity and password protection. According to the report, many individuals continue to use simple password combinations, compromising their data security. Some of the worst passwords listed include "123456", "admin", and "password".
Regarded as one of the top password managers in the market, NordPass' latest report on online security presents a rather bleak picture.
The World's Worst Passwords
Despite years of advice and ongoing discussions on the topic, a large number of individuals still resort to the practice of creating easily guessable passwords. This, naturally, makes the task of gaining unauthorized access all too easy for hackers and scammers.
The worst offender is the exceedingly common "123456", which has been used a staggering 4.5 million times.
"The password '123456' has emerged as the most commonly used password in the world. In the history of our study, it has been the top choice four out of five times. The password 'password' managed to take top spot just once," reported NordPass.
The list also enumerates variations of the most common passwords. "12345678" came in third place, having been used 1.3 million times, followed by "123456789" in fourth place with 1.2 million uses. The term "admin" was also high on the list, being used over 4 million times. Finalizing the ranking of poor passwords is "1234567890".
"The findings of NordPass's study serve as further evidence of the declining efficacy of this kind of protection. Users continue to rely on incredibly weak passwords," Andrew Shikiar, Executive Director of the FIDO Alliance, was quoted saying in the announcement.
NordPass advises users to create more complex passwords and avoid repeating the same password across multiple accounts. Changing passwords regularly is also highly recommended.
The list was compiled in collaboration with independent cybersecurity researchers. The 4.3 TB data set used to inform the report draws from various sources, including from the dark web.
