SplashData has released their annual list of 25 worst passwords of 2015. It seems like a lot of Twitter, Gmail and Amazon users had Star Wars themed ones. The password management firm took data from over 2 million passwords that leaked online during 2015 to compile the ones most often hacked.
2015 Passwords Got A Bit More Clever
The report states that the passwords of the year became longer, which is good. However, they were still too simple and not random. Classic examples of these kinds of passwords are ‘1234567890’ or ‘qwertyuiop’. Interestingly enough, there were also many Star Wars themed passwords found in the data.
If You Use Any of these Passwords for Gmail, Amazon or Twitter: Beware!
According to the ranking, the number one spot goes to ‘123456’, with increases and decreases in digits on spots 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 12. This is absolutely no surprise. The second worst password of 2015 was ‘password’, with ‘qwerty’ at 4. Sports related passwords also made the list, like ‘football’ and ‘baseball’.
Amazingly enough, 4 of the most popular worst passwords were related to Star Wars. This was probably because of the huge buildup to the launch of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The passwords in question were ‘princess’ (referencing Princess Leia), ‘solo’ (referencing Han Solo), ‘master’ ( a possible reference to C3PO) and ‘starwars’.
Many Platforms Offer Secondary Authentication Procedures
Gmail, for one, has an authentication process that sends a code to user’s mobile phone. Other companies are moving in for it, including Facebook. Despite that, there’s no denying that there is a strong need for better and stronger passwords.
The recipe for success is combining long and random. Passwords should combine letters, numbers and symbols whenever possible. Not only that, but people’s passwords should vary in every major account. This includes bank accounts, email, social networking websites and any platform that has your credit card information.
Password Managers and Muti-Step Authentication Are Key
Password managers are also good for people who tend to be forgetful about passwords. The highest recommended platforms are KeePass, LastPass, Dashline and SplashID. People are also encouraged to enable multi-factor authentication on their Amazon, Facebook, Gmail, Microsoft and Twitter accounts.
