20 worst passwords of 2018

SplashData has released its annual list of worst password for the yesteryear and the findings were less than surprising.

Topping the chart was none other than “123456”, “password”, and “123456789”.

Also, unsurprisingly, “donald” was also part of the list coming in at number 23.

The list was published after SplashData analysed more than five million passwords that were leaked on the internet.

What these leaked passwords have in common is that the majority are not alphanumeric.

This means that the websites that were hacked did not do their part to help users ensure that they have a strong password before allowing them to register an account with them.

Having a strong password is essential to protect your personal data.

If a hacker manages to get hold of your password for whichever account you have, they can impersonate you to perform unauthorised financial transactions, access your private information, and even commit crimes like extortion.

In short, a digitally cloned version of you.

There are a few ways that you can try to ensure that your passwords are strong enough to prevent hacks.

1. Make your password long and mix it with numbers, symbols, and upper and lower case.
2. Refrain from recycling your passwords.
3. Change your passwords regularly.
4. Note down the accounts you have and close those that you’ve been inactive

Here are the top 20 worst passwords of 2018 by SplashData.

1. 123456
2. password
3. 123456789
4. 12345678
5. 12345
6. 111111
7. 1234567
8. sunshine
9. qwerty
10. iloveyou
11. princess
12. admin
13. welcome
14. 666666
15. abc123
16. football
17. 123123
18. monkey
19. 654321
20. !@#$%^&*

For the full list of the 100 worst passwords, click here.