Revealed: The 10 most popular and worst passwords of 2024

Let's be honest: How many times have you used something like "123456" or "123123" as your password? With so many online accounts to juggle, it's tempting to go for simple passwords, even though we know they're weak. Unfortunately, a report from NordPass shows we're still making the same mistakes when it comes to keeping our accounts secure.

We're all guilty of using weak passwords at some point, but the extent of this digital negligence is truly staggering. For the sixth consecutive year, "123456" claims the dubious honor of being the most common password used by over 3 million people.

It's followed closely by its slightly more "complex" cousins: "123456789" and "12345678." But wait, it gets worse. The password "password" still ranks high on the list, used by nearly 700,000 people. It's as if we're collectively daring hackers to break into our accounts.

Here are the top 10 most common passwords of 2024, according to NordPass:

1) 123456 

2) 123456789 

3) 12345678 

4) password 

5) qwerty123 

6) qwerty1 

7) 111111 

8) 12345 

9) secret 

10) 123123

You might think that in professional settings, where sensitive data is at stake, people would be more cautious. Think again. The corporate world mirrors personal password habits alarmingly closely. The same weak passwords dominate business accounts, with "123456" leading the pack, used in over 1.2 million instances.

So, how can we break this cycle of password mediocrity?

1) Go long: Aim for passwords that are at least 20 characters long.

2) Mix it up: Use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special symbols.

3) Unique is key: Never reuse passwords across multiple accounts.

4) Regular reviews: Periodically assess and update your passwords.

5) Consider using a password manager: A password manager will securely store and generate complex passwords. It will also help you to create unique and difficult-to-crack passwords that a hacker could never guess. In addition, it keeps track of all your passwords in one place and fills passwords in for you when you're logging into an account so that you never have to remember them yourself. The fewer passwords you remember, the less likely you will be to reuse them for your accounts.

When it comes to choosing the best password manager for you, here are some of my top tips:

It's clear that we need to step up our password game. Using weak passwords like "123456" is a gamble we can't afford to take, especially with so much of our lives online. By taking simple steps, like creating longer, more complex passwords and using a password manager, we can better protect ourselves from cyber threats. Let's make 2025 the year we prioritize our digital security and leave those outdated passwords behind.

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