We all have to use passwords in our daily life whether it is for social media, email or any other website/app. Wherever you have to create an account anywhere on the Internet, you have to create a password for yourself. Other than that, we also use PIN and pattern based passwords on our devices for screen lock.
What makes your online accounts and devices secure is only the password protection. Having a weak password simply means compromising your personal data, banking details and your overall privacy. If you have a weak or very common password, it can be easily cracked by the hacker.
Most of the time we don’t put much efforts in creating a strong password and instead use very easy-to-remember words or numbers. Such type of passwords can be easily guessed by anyone. In this article, we are going to share a list of the most popular and common passwords that people use for their online accounts and screen lock.
Table of Contents
Top 10 most popular passwords used online [2022]
Here are some of the most common asswords used on Instagram, Facebook, Gmail, and other social accounts –
- qwerty
- 123456
- 123456789
- password
- 12345
- 1234567890
- 000000
- 111111
- abc123
- qwerty123
Top 10 most common screen lock passwords [2022]
We all use 4-digit PIN number to lock our smartphones. As we have to unlock our phone several times in a day, we prefer to choose the PIN number which is easy and quick to type. Below we have listed some of the most common screen lock passwords that people use on their smartphones –
- 1234
- 0000
- 1111
- 4444
- 1212
- 1010
- 2580
- 8888
- 4444
- 2222
Top 10 most common Wi-Fi passwords [2022]
Most people don’t care about their Wi-Fi and mobile hotspot password and they choose the simplest one which is very easy to remember. If you ever find a Wi-Fi connection and you need to use the Internet, you can try out these most common passwords –
- qwerty
- password
- 123456789
- 123456
- abc123
- abcdefgh
- admin
- student
- password123
- 123123
- welcome
If you are really concerned about your online safety, you shouldn’t use passwords like these. Giving your Wi-Fi access to anyone can also invite hackers to attack on your network so it’s good to have a more strong password rather than these simple ones which are very common and easy to guess.
How passwords get hacked
There are various ways hackers can steal your password which includes brute force attack, phishing method, password spraying, keylogging, credential stuffing, and more. Out of these methods, password spraying is the one in which the attacker test most common passwords to get access to your account.
Brute force is another popular method that hackers use to crack someone’s password. In this method, the attacker tries all possible combinations of characters to find the right password that matches. All this was done by the bots automatically. Brute force attack has limited scope now as most of the services have put restriction on the number of wrong password attempts.
Sometimes you can also be a victim of phishing attack where you unknowingly give your login credentials to a fake website that looks almost like the original. To protect yourself from phishing, always make sure to verify the website or app where you are providing your password.
Last but not the least, keylogging is also a popular way that hackers use to steal password from the victim’s device. Keylogging simply means to record the strokes you type on the keyboard. The hacker will install the keylogger tool on your device and it will then record the characters you use while typing your password.
Tips to create a strong password
If you are using any of the passwords mentioned in the above lists, your online account, device, or Wi-Fi is at risk of being hacked. It is important to have a strong password and for that you should keep these tips in your mind –
- Make your password at least 10 characters long. The longer your password, the more secure it is because long passwords are harder to hack than the shorter ones.
- Use a combination of letters, numbers, alphabets and special characters.
- Don’t use common passwords.
- Don’t add your name, date of birth, phone number or any other public details.
- Use a different password for each account.
- Change your password regularly.
- Along with your password, also use the two-factor authentication feature which adds an extra security layer to your account.
Frequently asked questions
Many of you may have this question in your mind that from where did we collected this data of most common passwords. It is collected from the publicly leaked data breaches from different databases and sources.
Absolutely not. Using common passwords is a great risk to your privacy and you should never use them for any of your social media accounts, email, Wi-Fi, or screen lock.
A strong password must be at least 10 characters long. Even better if it is more than that because longer passwords are more stronger. We recommend having a password length between 15-20 characters.
Keep online security as your priority
Hackers are always looking for accounts that can be easily hacked. People having weak passwords are their #1 target. If you have been using any of the password we have listed in this article or a similar one, change it immediately and protect yourself from being hacked. Most of the people don’t even care about their privacy and online security until something wrong happens with them.
Keeping your passwords strong should be on your priority always. It is better to take precautions beforehand. There have been several incidents of online hacking and data breaches in the past even on some of the most secure websites in the world. Hackers are getting smart day by day and they are finding new ways to exploit the system. It’s your own responsibility to keep your account safe from being hacked.
So that’s everything you need to know about this topic. Which password(s) you have used for yourself from the list of most common passwords that we have shared in this article? What type of things do you keep in your mind while creating a new password for your online accounts, screen lock, or Wi-Fi? Let us know in the comments below. You can check out more interesting guides on our website. Don’t forget to share this post with your friends!
