25 worst passwords of 2011

bynsky

If you use any of these, you might want to rethink your options...

1. password
(Come on, people!)

2. 123456
(Criminals find counting as easy as you do.)

3. 12345678
(This isn’t any better.)

4. qwerty
(Don’t fool yourself, this won’t trick savvy thieves!)

5. abc123
(Now you know your ABCs, and so do the criminals.)

6. monkey
(Don’t act like one by using this password.)

7. 1234567
(Again with the counting…)

8. letmein
(Nice try, but not tricky enough.)

9. trustno1
(Don’t trust this password either.)

10. dragon
(Criminals will slay this password in a second.)

11. baseball
(This may be America’s favorite pastime, but it’s also popular with criminals.)

12. 111111
(You will definitely be #1 with criminals.)

13. iloveyou
(… and criminals will love you back.)

14. master
(This password will make you a criminal’s slave.)

15. sunshine
(Your sky will cloud up once your account is hacked.)

16. ashley
(Hello all you Ashleys, don’t use your name as a password!)

17. bailey
(See “ashley.”)

18. passw0rd
(You’ve gotta get trickier than that!)

19. shadow
(You’ll soon be under a criminal’s shadow if you use this one!)

20. 123123
(Not as subtle as some people think.)

21. 654321
(Scarcely better.)

22. superman
(Your account will get hacked faster than a speeding bullet!)

23. qazwsx
(See “qwerty.”)

24. michael
(see “ashley.”)

25. football
(Criminals will tackle this password in no time.)

ScatteredThoughts

As someone who works in IT, it scares me some of the passwords I have seen. I have walked up to a desk, picked a word from a poster on the wall, and been able to log in to their computer with it.

BrettWithPKU

"1-2-3-4-5? That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard of in my life! That's the kinda thing an idiot would have on his luggage!"
-Spaceballs

JPod279

The problem with PWs are that there are so many required now adays and everyone wants something different that the only way to remember them all is to write them down, wich defeats the purpose. Especailly when you have to change them every 30 or 90 days.

leomom72

i dont get #4:indifferent:

BrettWithPKU

What's your opinion on "P@55w0rD"?

JPod279

As someone who works in IT, it scares me some of the passwords I have seen. I have literally walked up to a desk, picked a word from a poster on the wall, and been able to log in to their computer with it.

I was at work once and a girl had left that worked with us and wasn't too bright. We needed a letter off her computer so I turned it on and tried her son's name as her PW. BINGO. Got in first try.

Unknown

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BigBeaver

damnit, now I gotta go change 5 of my passwords

garnetsms

i dont get #4:indifferent:

Its the first 6 letters on the left top row

BrettWithPKU

i dont get #4:indifferent:

The standard keyboard in the United States is called "QWERTY" because the top row, left to right, begins with the letters Q-W-E-R-T-Y.

Eaglesfanintn

When my mother in law died, she had a laptop that I'm guessing she used twice - once to set up a password and once to try to login again and gave up when she couldn't remember it. I tried her dog's name - worked like a charm.

sarahmaryfearnley

I recently learned a new trick from IT to make more secure passwords. It's so simple, I can't believe I didn't know this. Pick a sentance that has meaning for you and then use the first letter of each word as the password. Adding capitals and numbers will make it even better.

e.g. Sarah joined MFP in 2011 and has lost 8 pounds = SjMFPi2011ahl8p

using a sentance about who is in your family, when you were married, or when you graduated is super easy to remember.

PS - the above is not ANY of my passwords

loseweightjames

As someone who works in IT, it scares me some of the passwords I have seen. I have walked up to a desk, picked a word from a poster on the wall, and been able to log in to their computer with it.

is it bad that my password is my desktop background?

jljohnson

As someone who works in IT, it scares me some of the passwords I have seen. I have walked up to a desk, picked a word from a poster on the wall, and been able to log in to their computer with it.

I work in IT too, and have users that pick a word (kid's name, motorcycle model, product name, company name, etc.) then put a number after it. When it expires they just increase the number by 1. When I go to help them, I can usually guess the password in 2-3 tries. Unless they have it on a post-it on their desk... then I just log in.

Krissy366

I read something recently (wish I could remember where) that basically said that all of those "security" requirements for passwords (use a capital, and a number and symbol) make all passwords MORE hackable than if we were all advised to pick a random series of 3 unrelated words. It basically said that with a special program a hacker can hack those 'secure" passwords in (I want to say) a couple of hours, but a random series of words would take more than 500 years with the same program. It was interesting.

mickipedia

As someone who works in IT, it scares me some of the passwords I have seen. I have walked up to a desk, picked a word from a poster on the wall, and been able to log in to their computer with it.

is it bad that my password is my desktop background?

No because they'd have to be on your computer to see it =D

I personally use the batch number of a pack of staples that were sat on my desk the first time I used a computer.. Same one ever since and the beauty is no one can ever remember it no matter how many times I tell them as its a random combination of letters and numbers =D

jljohnson

What's your opinion on "P@55w0rD"?

Generally speaking, I think this is a decent way to make a password - has caps, lowercase, numbers and symbols. However, I wouldn't use the word "password" Pick something original and use the same method.

MrEmoticon

I hate the fact that we have to change our passwords every 3 months. Mine is pretty secure.

kd_mazur

As someone who works in IT, it scares me some of the passwords I have seen. I have walked up to a desk, picked a word from a poster on the wall, and been able to log in to their computer with it.

I work in IT too, and have users that pick a word (kid's name, motorcycle model, product name, company name, etc.) then put a number after it. When it expires they just increase the number by 1. When I go to help them, I can usually guess the password in 2-3 tries. Unless they have it on a post-it on their desk... then I just log in.

I am guilty of the post it:blushing:
But seriously if my 15 different passwords would just change all at the same time rather than at different intervals I would have a much better chance of actually remembering the one I need:/

ElizabethRoad

As someone who works in IT, it scares me some of the passwords I have seen. I have walked up to a desk, picked a word from a poster on the wall, and been able to log in to their computer with it.

is it bad that my password is my desktop background?

If you're in an environment where people see that background while walking by, then yeah, probably bad.

Also, it won't help you much if you've put it there so you can see it if you forget your password.

Articeluvsmemphis

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :noway:

JustJennie1

As someone who works in IT, it scares me some of the passwords I have seen. I have walked up to a desk, picked a word from a poster on the wall, and been able to log in to their computer with it.

Um, can I ask why you would be walking up to someone's computer and logging in when they are not there? Not only that but why would someone give you their password to log on in the first place? I worked for a company and under no circumstance were you ever to give any of your passwords out to anyone -- not even the IT department. We regularly had emails and stupid trainings about passwords and not giving them out to anyone. If IT needed to get onto my computer they would come up to my desk and have me log on. If I wasn't there then they had to wait until I was. It would be a serious breach of our company's protocol/security if they got on without my permission.

rebecky27

I recently learned a new trick from IT to make more secure passwords. It's so simple, I can't believe I didn't know this. Pick a sentance that has meaning for you and then use the first letter of each word as the password. Adding capitals and numbers will make it even better.

e.g. Sarah joined MFP in 2011 and has lost 8 pounds = SjMFPi2011ahl8p

using a sentance about who is in your family, when you were married, or when you graduated is super easy to remember.

PS - the above is not ANY of my passwords

Ohhh - I love this!!! I've been running out of ideas...at work we have to change them every 60 days and cannot use any of our last 24 passwords....and the passwords can't even have the same 3 consecutive letter/numbers combo in them as the prior 24!
Thank you, thank you!!!

ScatteredThoughts

I am guilty of the post it:blushing:
But seriously if my 15 different passwords would just change all at the same time rather than at different intervals I would have a much better chance of actually remembering the one I need:/

Use a password safe with strong master password, and then you can store all of your other passwords in it.

SinkTheBismarck

I'm pretty sure I've used "monkey" when I was younger :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

darkmouzy

Yes!!! My name made the worst password list! xD haha but good for me I don't use my name! :P

Bentley2718

The problem with PWs are that there are so many required now adays and everyone wants something different that the only way to remember them all is to write them down, wich defeats the purpose. Especailly when you have to change them every 30 or 90 days.

Write down hints only you will understand, and store the list in a secure location. For example, a hint might be (I don't actually use this one, but it's a reasonable example) "bus OLS end." You would have an easier time breaking into my account by brute force than you would figuring out that hint, but *I* know what it means.

Bentley2718

I recently learned a new trick from IT to make more secure passwords. It's so simple, I can't believe I didn't know this. Pick a sentance that has meaning for you and then use the first letter of each word as the password. Adding capitals and numbers will make it even better.

That's not a "new" trick, but it is a good way to create secure passwords.

BrettWithPKU

I imagine any password you post to a public message board would instantly become a bad password.... hmmm?

r1ghtpath

oh my gosh! that would drive me nuts! mine would never make sense to anyone but me. i don't know how i could come up with a new one every 60 days AND remember it! i'd want to go back to ones from before.

i have several and i often forget what i used at what site/ account. it gets annoying!

I recently learned a new trick from IT to make more secure passwords. It's so simple, I can't believe I didn't know this. Pick a sentance that has meaning for you and then use the first letter of each word as the password. Adding capitals and numbers will make it even better.

e.g. Sarah joined MFP in 2011 and has lost 8 pounds = SjMFPi2011ahl8p

using a sentance about who is in your family, when you were married, or when you graduated is super easy to remember.

PS - the above is not ANY of my passwords

Ohhh - I love this!!! I've been running out of ideas...at work we have to change them every 60 days and cannot use any of our last 24 passwords....and the passwords can't even have the same 3 consecutive letter/numbers combo in them as the prior 24!
Thank you, thank you!!!