What Are The Most Hacked Passwords? [20 Examples You Need To Know]

In the age of cyber threats and hackers, passwords are becoming increasingly important. Consequently, you must utilize strong passwords to improve your cybersecurity and reduce the risk of hackers stealing your private information.

As a result, you may have noticed that many websites are encouraging users to utilize increasingly strong passwords. Yet, lots of people use simple passwords that are easy to remember.

You mustn’t use simplistic passwords if you wish to protect your personal data. After all, you should avoid certain passwords because they are continuously preyed upon. Here are some passwords that are most hacked(see also: Which Password Managers Have Been Hacked, And Which Ones Should You Use?)!

What Are The Most Hacked Passwords?

The most hacked passwords tend to be commonly used. These passwords are known for their simplicity, making them easy to remember. Though this can be an advantage for the user, the simplicity of these passwords means that hackers can easily guess them.

Among the most hacked passwords are:

1. 1. 123456

1. 1. password

1. 1. 123456789

1. 1. qwerty

1. 1. password1

1. 1. 111111

1. 1. 123123

1. 1. superman

1. 1. qwerty123

1. 1. monkey

1. 1. Iloveyou

1. 1. dragon

1. 1. 654321

1. 1. abc123

1. 1. qwertyuiop

1. 1. princess

1. 1. asdfghjkl

1. 1. 000000

1. 1. 1111111111

1. 1. 1q2w3e4r5t

The most common password on this list, namely 123456, is believed to be used by a massive 23.2 million users! The reason why many of these passwords are so widely used is that they’re easy to remember.

Not to mention, they are simple to type on a standard keyboard, making them a convenient option. They may also contain popular animals or fictional characters, thus making them more memorable.

Other common trends involve using different football teams. Many people use their favorite football team as a password. The good news is that these passwords differ between countries since most people will merely use a local team.

However, you will nonetheless be vulnerable to cyber threats if you use a popular football team as a password. The truth is that these passwords are unimaginative and downright lazy.

Please don’t use one of these passwords. If you do, you will greatly increase your chances of being hacked.

What Names Are Most Used As Passwords?

Many people will also use the name of their loved ones as passwords. This can include the name of their mother, father, children, significant other, best friends, or pets.

On the face of it, this may seem like a good idea. After all, you’re unlikely to forget a password if it’s related to someone you love. But the truth is that it’s not always a good idea to use a name as a password.

This is especially true if the name is common, as this makes it easy for hackers to guess. Moreover, thanks to social media, it’s easier than ever before to find the names of the people that you’re close to. Some of the names that are most often used as passwords include:

1. 1. Ashley

1. 1. Jessica

1. 1. Daniel

1. 1. Michael

1. 1. Princess

1. 1. Charlie

1. 1. Jesus

1. 1. Donald

1. 1. Jordan

1. 1. Thomas

1. 1. Nicole

1. 1. Hannah

1. 1. Andrew

1. 1. George

1. 1. Anthony

1. 1. Jennifer

1. 1. Robert

1. 1. Justin

1. 1. Joshua

1. 1. Andrea

So if you were planning on using one of these names as the basis of your password, you may need to reconsider. To make things worse, these passwords are often typed entirely in lowercase letters. This makes the accounts even simpler to hack.

Why Are Numbers Popular Passwords?

As you may have noticed, the list of the most commonly hacked passwords contains different number combinations. The reason for this is that these numbers are straightforward to remember and type.

The disadvantage is that this means that passwords like 111111 are simple for hackers to guess.

How Can You Choose A Strong Password?

Now that you know about some of the weakest passwords that are commonly used, you may be wondering how you can craft a strong password. The good news is that you can easily strengthen your cybersecurity by utilizing these password tips:

• • Your password should contain at least 10 passwords. The longer the password is, the harder it will be for hackers to guess.

• • Use both uppercase and lowercase letters. Plus, you should add numbers and special characters to the password. This will diversify the password.

• • Always comply with the password requirements. Certain websites will require users to meet requirements, such as having a password that contains a certain number of uppercase letters.

• • Try to create unique passwords for every site that you sign up for. If you struggle to remember these passwords, give your browser permission to save them.

• • Avoid using commonly used words, such as “password.”

• • Consider using song lyrics or some of your favorite quotes. Not only will these likely be longer than the average password, but these passwords will be memorable.

• • Use a password manager. Essentially, these password managers are apps or pieces of software that store your passwords. Thus, you won’t need to remember all of your passwords. The best password managers include Keeper, NordVPN, Dashlane, and LastPass. So if you have a poor memory, consider using these services.

Why Is It Important To Pick Strong Passwords?

The reason why it is so vital for you to create a strong password is that this acts as the first line of defense for your online accounts. If you use a weak password, you will give hackers unauthorized access to your account.

From here, hackers can steal your private information and use it to exploit your security. They may even be able to reach your financial information, which could result in your money being stolen by malicious hackers.

How Do Hackers Get Passwords?

If your password has been stolen by a hacker, you may be wondering how they were able to get this information. You may be particularly perplexed if you’ve chosen a strong and unique password that would have been difficult for a hacker to guess.

The truth is that hackers can obtain password information from a variety of sources, including:

• • They can guess your password by utilizing these widely-used examples.

• • Your device may have been subjected to malicious malware.

• • Hackers may purchase password information from data breaches.

• • You may have accidentally given hackers unauthorized access through spam emails.

• • You may have been subjected to a phishing attack.

• • Hackers may have used credential stuffing, which is the practice of using automated bots to try different password combinations until they yield results.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Password Should You Avoid?

It’s recommended that you avoid password sequences that are widely used. This includes keyboard sequences, such as “asdfghjkl”. This may seem like a strong password, but it’s commonly used because these letters appear next to each other on a standard keyboard.

You should also avoid any passwords that feature the word “password”, such as “password123”.

Can You Use A Blank Space In A Password?

This depends. Many websites don’t allow you to use passwords that feature a blank space. Yet, if the site allows it, blank spaces can be an effective way of strengthening your security.

How Long Should A Password Be?

Generally, the longer the password, the better. Passwords should ideally be between at least 8-12 characters long.

Final Thoughts

Picking a solid password can be tough, especially if you struggle to remember them. To improve your cybersecurity, you should avoid the aforementioned passwords, as they are regularly exploited by hackers.

Instead, you should use our top tips to create strong passwords that will be difficult for people to hack!