'123456' dethrones 'password' as worst password - Times of India

LONDON: Internet security firm SplashData has released its list of the worst passwords of 2013. King of terrible passwords, 'password', has finally been unseated from its throne. It has been displaced by '123456' as the world's most popular worst password.

This year's list was influenced by the large number of passwords from Adobe users posted online by security consulting firm Stricture Consulting Group following Adobe's well-publicized security breach.

"Seeing passwords like 'adobe123' and 'photoshop' on this list offers a good reminder not to base your password on the name of the website or application you are accessing," says Morgan Slain, CEO of SplashData.

SplashData's list of frequently-used passwords shows that many people continue to put themselves at risk by using weak passwords. Some other passwords in the Top 10 include 'qwerty,' 'abc123,' '111111,' and 'iloveyou'.

SplashData's top 25 was compiled from files containing millions of stolen passwords posted online during the previous year. The company advises consumers or businesses using any of the passwords on the list to change them immediately.

SplashData suggests making passwords more secure with these tips: "Use passwords of eight characters or more using mixed characters. But even passwords with common substitutions like 'dr4mat1c' can be vulnerable to attackers' increasingly-sophisticated technology, and random combinations like 'j%7K&yPx$' can be difficult to remember. One way to create more secure passwords that are easy to recall is to use passphrases — short words with spaces or other characters separating them. It's best to use random words rather than common phrases. For example, 'cakes years birthday' or 'smiles—light—skip?'"

It added: "Avoid using the same username/password combination for multiple websites. Especially risky is using the same password for entertainment sites that you do for online e-mail, social networking, or financial service sites. Use different passwords for each new website or service you sign up for"

Around 2.9 million people across the globe, using popular software applications like Photoshop, InDesign and Acrobat have had their private information like passwords and even credit and debit card details stolen in a highly-sophisticated cyber-attack on Adobe.

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