The Worst Passwords in 2023: Is Yours Among Them?

Passwords protect our devices, online accounts, credit cards, and more. It's crucial to create strong passwords and use distinct ones for different accounts, avoiding commonly used options. We understand the difficulty of remembering passwords for various accounts, especially if they're not easily memorable. Unfortunately, many people overlook the significance of strong passwords and choose simple ones, assuming that cybercriminals won't pay them much attention.

NordPass has unveiled the top 200 most common passwords used in 2023, and we will highlight some of the worst ones. Our aim is to raise awareness, urging you to avoid using these passwords for your accounts.

Note: The list of passwords was compiled by NordPass in partnership with independent researchers specializing in researching cybersecurity incidents. They evaluated a 4.3TB database extracted from various publicly available sources, including those on the dark web.

So, what were the most commonly used (and also the worst) passwords in 2023?

The top 10 most common passwords used in 2023

Let’s look at the top 10 commonly used passwords in 2023. As you can see in the photo below, the most common password of 2023 is 123456. Easy to remember, right? Well, it turns out it's also easy to guess! An attacker could crack this password in less than a second. According to the research, the password 123456 was used a staggering 4,524,867 times.

The research discloses that 7 out of 10 most commonly used passwords consist of consecutive numbers, all starting with the number 1. Notably, password, admin, and Aa123456 were also highly popular choices. All top 10 most commonly used passwords can be cracked in less than a second.

These are undoubtedly the worst passwords of 2023. If you are using any of them, change them immediately!

Source: NordPass

What about other commonly used passwords in 2023?

We’ve reviewed the list and identified more bad passwords from different categories.

• Numbers

Apparently, people love using only numbers when creating passwords in 2023. Well, sticking to typical number patterns isn't secure enough, even if you are using them backward! Here are some examples of poor passwords in 2023, made up of easily remembered numbers: 123123, 654321, 102030, 1111111111. Can you guess how long it takes to crack the mentioned passwords? If you're thinking less than a second, you are right!

• Words

Among the most commonly used passwords of this year, we also find some commonly used, easily remembered words or phrases such as iloveyou, changeme, and motorola. These choices are very risky - all mentioned passwords can be cracked in less than a second. When creating a password avoid using easily guessable words and phrases.

• A combination of letters and numbers

In 2023, even combinations of letters and numbers like Aa123456, qwerty123, and password1 proved to be poor choices! It's important to be more creative and avoid creating passwords from easily guessable words with predictable numbers.

• Stronger passwords?

In the most commonly used passwords of the 2023 list, we can also find passwords that consist of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. You may think, great, that’s what passwords should include. However, although these passwords contain all these elements, they are still not strong enough. Examples of weak passwords in 2023 include Welcome@123, P@55w0rd, and Abc@1234. As you can see, these passwords lack creativity and remain surprisingly easy to guess. Don't be lazy! Do not just use a favourite phrase and exchange characters with symbols or numbers.

For a deeper insight into the research, visit the NordPass website. Explore the full list of 200 commonly used passwords and discover the most popular passwords in different countries. See how password habits diverge across various digital platforms, including E-commerce, Social Media, Financial, Email, Gaming, Productivity Tools, Smartphone, and Streaming. Additionally, explore the most commonly used passwords from 2019 to 2022, along with other interesting findings about the research.

How to create a strong password?

• Do not use the most commonly used passwords.
• Create a password that is at least 12 characters long.
• Make sure your password includes a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, spaces, and special characters.
• Avoid using easily guessable words or phrases and avoid simply exchanging characters with symbols or numbers (as we’ve seen before)!
• Do not use obvious words, dictionary words, or common phrases.
• Do not reuse your password.
• Ensure your password does not include memorable keyboard paths, such as qwerty.

By following these tips, you may find that your password isn't easy to remember. That's where password managers come in handy. With a password manager, you can securely store all your passwords, needing only to remember one master password. Additionally, password managers offer the convenience of generating random passwords.

And don't forget to enable 2-factor authentication wherever possible for an added layer of security!

Read more about creating strong passwords in our previous blog posts:

• Strong passwords and how to remember them
• 9 ways to make your password less bad
• World Password Day: Best tips for protecting your personal data online

What do you think about the worst passwords of 2023? Join us on the Koofr subreddit and let us know!

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