The 25 worst passwords of 2017 -- does yours appear on the list?
SplashData, a password management provider, just released its annual list of "Worst Passwords of the Year" using data from 5 million leaked passwords from users in North America and Western Europe.
Despite many well-publicized major data leaks in 2016 and 2017, many people continue to use weak passwords that are easily guessed. "123456" and "Password," for example, were the two most popular passwords SplashData came across, as they have been for several years running.
With data breaches from major companies so common, a strong password is essential, and it's also important not to use the same password for more than one account. A password manager can generate and store your passwords: https://its.ucsc.edu/security/lockdown.html#pass
Use two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security. Don't let the fancy name throw you. It just means that to log into your account you need two ways to prove you are who you say you are. It’s like the bank or an employer asking for two forms of ID. https://its.ucsc.edu/security/lockdown.html#auth
Test password strength (note: do not enter your actual passwords) https://password.kaspersky.com/
Here's the top 25 worst passwords of 2017:
123456
Password
12345678
qwerty
12345
123456789
letmein
1234567
football
iloveyou
admin
welcome
monkey
login
abc123
starwars
123123
dragon
passw0rd
maste
hello
freedom
whatever
qazwsx
trustno1
