Washington — Despite constant warnings from digital security experts, millions of people worldwide continue to use extremely weak and insecure passwords that hackers can guess in a matter of seconds. This practice leaves online accounts highly vulnerable to serious security breaches.
A company named Pack AI analyzed data from over 100 million passwords hacked over the past six years to reveal the 10 most popular—yet worst—passwords used globally. The report indicates that, surprisingly, the majority of individuals still use codes simple enough for a child to predict.
The Top 10 Worst Passwords:
According to the list, “123456” is the single most popular and dangerous password. The report disclosed that this simple code was used for over 6.6 million hacked accounts.
| Rank | Password |
| 1 | 123456 |
| 2 | 123456789 |
| 3 | 111111 |
| 4 | password |
| 5 | qwerty |
| 6 | abc123 |
| 7 | 1234567 |
| 8 | password1 |
| 9 | 1234567 |
| 10 | 123123 |
Expert Recommendations for Stronger Security:
In light of continuous cybercriminal attacks, experts emphasize the following measures to enhance user security:
- Uniqueness: Use a different and difficult password for every online account (banking, shopping, social media).
- Length and Complexity: A password should be a minimum of 12 characters long and include a combination of numbers, special characters (like @, #), and both upper and lower case letters.
- Avoid Personal Data: Hackers can easily find personal details such as names, birth dates, or hobbies. It is therefore best to create passwords that are not related to your personal information.
While tech companies are working on safer alternatives to passwords, strong passwords remain the first line of defense until those technologies are fully implemented.
