The good news, for computer security experts: People are no longer using “password” as their top password for online files and site entry. The bad news: The new top password is equally unimaginative — “123456.”
That’s according to an annual survey from SpashData, a mobile software developing company that collected and compiled lists of those commonly used passwords that were tied to data breaches and computer hacks in 2013, The Independent reported.
The bulk of the company’s profile was obtained by analyzing hacks that occurred at Adobe in October, when up to 38 million computer users were affected.
On the list: The password “123456” resulted in the most breaches, The Independent reported.
“Password” came in second, followed by “12345678” in third. Next in line: “qwerty,” then “abc123,” “123456789,” “111111,” and “1234567.” The word “admin” also made the list at the No. 12 slot.
More deviations of the worst also spotted the list: At No. 11 was “123123.” At No. 13 was “1234567890.” And at No. 16 and No. 20 were “1234” and “12345,” respectively.
Security experts recommend choosing random words — and including character signs, capitals and numbers — for the strongest passwords that are most resistant to hacks.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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