Study reveals top 20 most used passwords; 83% can be cracked in a second - 9to5Mac
Study reveals top 20 most used passwords; 83% can be cracked in a second
Avatar for Michael Potuck
Michael Potuck
| May 2 2023 - 6:48 am PT
9 Comments
Most used passwords report
Ahead of World Password Day on May 4, NordPass has released a report showing that “password habits die hard” with a list of the most used passwords in the US and 29 other countries. For the US, many of the usual suspects are on the list, however, this time around “123456” is no longer the most popular password. The study also found 83% of these passwords can be cracked in “less than a second.”
For its study, NordPass says it evaluated over 3TB worth of data with the help of independent researchers to determine the top 200 most used passwords in 30 different countries.
The company notes that “despite growing cybersecurity awareness, old habits die hard. The research shows that people still use weak passwords to protect their accounts.”
The report actually includes the 200 most used passwords for each country, below we’ve got the top 20 in the US. And here are the four major takeaways:
“guest” beat out “123456” to be the most popular password among Americans in 2022.
Simple combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols, such as “a1b2c3,” “abc123,” or “qwerty,” are highly popular in the US.
When creating passwords, people tend to draw inspiration from cultural experiences, lifestyle trends, or recent events, be it sports or fashion. For example, American professional sports team names (i.e., Detroit Red Wings, Boston Red Sox,) or variations of them make extremely popular passwords.
83% of the world’s most common passwords can be cracked in less than a second.
Top 20 most common passwords in the US
guest
123456
password
12345
a1b2c3
123456789
Password1
1234
abc123
12345678
qwerty
baseball
football
unknown
soccer
jordan23
iloveyou
monkey
shadow
g_czechout
Check out the whole list of the 200 most common passwords from each country. The charts also include how many times a given password was found and an estimate of the time it takes to crack it.
Password checkup tips
Last month we got an idea of how strong password-cracking tools are becoming with the latest AI. Even if you have strong password habits, it’s never a bad idea to do an audit and it’s always helpful to remind less tech-savvy friends and family to:
Use 2FA/MFA (non-SMS-based whenever possible)
Check your password manager for alerts about compromised or reused passwords (don’t use the same password across different accounts)
Use auto-generated passwords as long as possible
Update passwords regularly, especially for sensitive accounts
Refrain from using public WiFi, especially for banking and similar accounts
For those looking for even greater security with Apple devices, physical security keys are now supported:
Here are the security keys Apple recommends for iPhone, iPad, and Mac
And check out our full explainer for all the details on how they work:
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You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel
Avatar for Michael Potuck
Michael Potuck
| May 2 2023 - 6:48 am PT
9 Comments
Most used passwords report
Ahead of World Password Day on May 4, NordPass has released a report showing that “password habits die hard” with a list of the most used passwords in the US and 29 other countries. For the US, many of the usual suspects are on the list, however, this time around “123456” is no longer the most popular password. The study also found 83% of these passwords can be cracked in “less than a second.”
For its study, NordPass says it evaluated over 3TB worth of data with the help of independent researchers to determine the top 200 most used passwords in 30 different countries.
The company notes that “despite growing cybersecurity awareness, old habits die hard. The research shows that people still use weak passwords to protect their accounts.”
The report actually includes the 200 most used passwords for each country, below we’ve got the top 20 in the US. And here are the four major takeaways:
“guest” beat out “123456” to be the most popular password among Americans in 2022.
Simple combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols, such as “a1b2c3,” “abc123,” or “qwerty,” are highly popular in the US.
When creating passwords, people tend to draw inspiration from cultural experiences, lifestyle trends, or recent events, be it sports or fashion. For example, American professional sports team names (i.e., Detroit Red Wings, Boston Red Sox,) or variations of them make extremely popular passwords.
83% of the world’s most common passwords can be cracked in less than a second.
Top 20 most common passwords in the US
guest
123456
password
12345
a1b2c3
123456789
Password1
1234
abc123
12345678
qwerty
baseball
football
unknown
soccer
jordan23
iloveyou
monkey
shadow
g_czechout
Check out the whole list of the 200 most common passwords from each country. The charts also include how many times a given password was found and an estimate of the time it takes to crack it.
Password checkup tips
Last month we got an idea of how strong password-cracking tools are becoming with the latest AI. Even if you have strong password habits, it’s never a bad idea to do an audit and it’s always helpful to remind less tech-savvy friends and family to:
Use 2FA/MFA (non-SMS-based whenever possible)
Check your password manager for alerts about compromised or reused passwords (don’t use the same password across different accounts)
Use auto-generated passwords as long as possible
Update passwords regularly, especially for sensitive accounts
Refrain from using public WiFi, especially for banking and similar accounts
For those looking for even greater security with Apple devices, physical security keys are now supported:
Here are the security keys Apple recommends for iPhone, iPad, and Mac
And check out our full explainer for all the details on how they work:
Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel
