We haven’t done this for a while but it’s time, once more, for a survey of the year’s worst passwords. Sadly, the only real question is, as usual, whether 123456 or password heads the list.
This time password has inexplicably dropped to fourth place, leaving 123456 to take the top spot. The full list of 200 passwords reports how many times each password was used, how many times it was exposed, and estimates how long it would take to crack it. It’s interesting to browse through the list. At first glance, some of the more common passwords, like senha at number 10, are not that obvious—although still easy to crack. Senha, it turns out is the Portuguese word for “password” although for some it may refer to a popular Indian actress. Regardless, ten seconds later you’re p0wned. The most “secure” password—estimated to take 12 days to crack—was x4ivygA51F. It’s number 148 on the list and no one knows why it’s so popular (18,267 uses) or where it comes from. There’s some speculation on 4chan if you’re interested.
I know I’m yelling at the wrong group but for the love of Cthulhu please, please start using a password manager that generates long random passwords. And tell your Aunt Millie to do so too.