Getty Images / Thanakorn Lappattaranan
If you want to keep your identity secure and avoid getting hacked, you're going to want to avoid using the most common passwords. It can be difficult to remember a bunch of complex passwords, but it's worth it in the long run. All it takes is one simple password for a hacker to figure you out and possibly make your life very uncomfortable.
Most Common Passwords - Avoid These
Reader's Digest has a new article out with the 20 most common passwords. In it, they talk with George Finney, the chief information security officer at Southern Methodist University. "It's tempting to use one easy-to-remember password, like your dog's name, for all your passwords," he tells Reader's Digest. He adds that these kind of passwords make people feel like they're being safe, because they're simple to remember. But, don't be fooled. "Today, it's about as difficult for a cybercriminal to get your password as it is to make a cup of coffee, particularly if you use the same passwords for everything you do online," he says.
Before we get to the most common passwords, let's look at some general tips. For one, as I just mentioned, don't use the very same password for all of your accounts. That makes it really easy for a hacker to get into your life. Also, when it comes to creating a good, strong password, don't use names or things familiar to your life. You want to make the password as difficult to figure out as possible. It always helps to add special characters, punctuation and switch it up with caps and lowercase letters, too. But, in general, the biggest thing to keep yourself safe is to avoid using a common password. Hackers actually use lists of common passwords to try to get into accounts all the time. All they need is your email address to get started, and they can use bots to try to hack away at your life.
Now, let's get into the most common passwords. This list is from mobile security firm Lookout, via Reader's Digest, who recently published a list of the 20 most common passwords in leaked account information on the dark web. Most of these are obviously bad passwords, because they're so simple to figure out. But, a few are more difficult or less intuitive. I was surprised by a handful of these passwords. Go through the list below, and if you use any of these passwords, change them now. Also, find tips on the biggest mistakes that can get you hacked below.
123456
123456789
Qwerty
Password
12345
12345678
111111
1234567
123123
Qwerty123
1q2w3e
1234567890
DEFAULT
0
Abc123
654321
123321
Qwertyuiop
Iloveyou
666666
