Experts from the UK National Cyber Security Center have analyzed the most insecure passwords chosen by users for their accounts – the top one being ‘123456’, a password used by 23 million people.
Specialists carried out the analysis of public databases that contained information on 100,000 passwords used by hackers to gain access to users’ accounts. The most insecure password revealed was ‘123456’, the second one being ‘123456789’ chosen by 7.7 million users. The third most popular choice is ‘qwerty’ used by 3.8 million people, followed by ‘password’ used by 3.6 million people, and ‘1111111’ chosen by 3.1 million.
Many users choose their names or names of their favorite bands, as well as football clubs, RIA Novosti reported. Experts warn that using most common passwords increases the risk of being hacked manifold. Hackers can guess such common passwords as ‘Barcelona’ (a football club), or ‘Snoop Dog (a popular hip hop artist), simply by finding a user’s account on social networking cites and receiving information on their interests or music preferences.