Study: people still using 'password' and '123456' as passwords

What are some of the most common mistakes made in terms of passwords? We've seen them before, such as in the Gawker Media hack, with folks using "123456" and other far too simple passwords. A new study by password management application provider SplashData shows folks still haven't learned their lesson.

It's actual an annual event, this SplashData study. "Password" ranks first on the list, which is ranked by "popularity" among millions of stolen passwords posted online by hackers. Sequential sets of numbers such as "123456" are quite naturally high, just as in the Gawker Media hack, as are common words and common names, such as "ashley" and "michael."

Alternatively, some are a bit hard to understand, in terms of their high ranking, like "monkey." SplashData's top 25 are:

1. password
2. 123456
3. 12345678
4. qwerty
5. abc123
6. monkey
7. 1234567
8. letmein (uh, yeah)
9. trustno1
10. dragon
11. baseball
12. 111111
13. iloveyou
14. master
15. sunshine
16. ashley
17. bailey
18. passw0rd (adding a 0 instead of an o isn't really high security)
19. shadow
20. 123123
21. 654321
22. superman
23. qazwsx (check a keyboard to see why this is chosen)
24. michael
25. football

Unfortunately, just having a strong password, one which includes letters, numbers, and special chacters (%, @, etc.) isn't good enough. End users also shouldn't use the same passwords all over the place. If you do, someone could get a forum password, and viola, they also have your Amazon.com password.

If you can't keep track of multiple passwords, and really, who can, use a password manager like KeePass or LastPass. Many of these also generate secure passwords based on your criteria, as well.

In this day of smartphones and tablets, you can also choose a manager that has a mobile app, too.  Just make sure you also lock your phone in case you lose it with all your passwords on it.