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You're Still Using Terrible Passwords

 & Chloe Albanesius Executive Editor, News

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You can't teach an old dog new tricks. Or passwords, it seems.

Despite all the warnings about the need for secure passwords, some Web users still use very obvious codes, according to SplashData's annual list of the most commonly used passwords on the Web.

The good news is that "password" is no longer the most popular password, slipping to No. 2. But it has been replaced by the equally dumb "123456."

SplashData's 2013 list was influenced by last year's huge Adobe hack, which saw the release of encrypted passwords for approximately 38 million active users.

"Seeing passwords like 'adobe123' and 'photoshop' on this list offers a good reminder not to base your password on the name of the website or application you are accessing," Morgan Slain, CEO of SplashData, said in a statement.

Other passwords in the top 10 were the oh-so clever "12345678," as well as "qwerty", "abc123," and "iloveyou," as well as various, easily guessed number combinations ("111111").

"As always, we hope that with more publicity about how risky it is to use weak passwords, more people will start taking simple steps to protect themselves by using stronger passwords and using different passwords for different websites," Slain said.

In addition to using bad passwords, another Internet security faux pas is using the same password across multiple websites and services. A recent review by Trustwave of 2 million passwords on a command-and-control server based in the Netherlands found that 30 percent of users reused their passwords across multiple social-networking accounts.

If your password is exposed through a hack like the one that hit Adobe, hackers will be able to more easily access your other Internet accounts if you use the same password across the Web.

And as PCMag's Neil Rubenking pointed out recently, Even Good Passwords Are Bad. You Need Two-Factor Authentication.

For more, check out PCMag Live in the video below, which discusses 2013's worst passwords.

Worst Passwords 2013

About Our Expert

Chloe Albanesius

Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

My Areas of Expertise

Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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