"123456" and "password" Once Again Top Annual Worst Passwords Ranking

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"123456" and "password" were the most-used and second most-used passwords of 2015, according to an annual worst passwords ranking. Every year, SplashData, a developer of password management software, releases an annual list of the worst--in this case, most commonly used--passwords. It builds its ranking based on more than two million leaked passwords that once belonged to users located in North America and in Western Europe. 2015 marks the fifth year of the annual ranking. Overall, little movement has occurred at the top of the list over the past five years. "123456" and "password" have claimed the top two positions since 2011. The other top combinations, such as "12345678," "qwerty," "12345," and "123456789," either experienced no change from last year or showed only slight movement up or down. The bottom of the list is a different story. In the 2014 ranking, references to the DC universe, including "batman," "superman," and "shadow," popped up at the list's bottom. This year, the Force has supplanted superheroes, with "princess," "solo," and "starwars" ranking in at 21, 23, and 25, respectively. You can view the complete 2015 ranking below:

As always, for each online account, users are encouraged to build unique passwords that are at least 15 characters in length, that incorporate special characters, and that exclude personal information, such as first and last names. For more information on password security best practices, please click here.