Top 25 Stolen Passwords for 2011 Announced

Center for Personal Finance editors

What was the most stolen online password of 2011? "Password." Computer users who think switching the "o" to a zero to make it "passw0rd" didn't fare much better. Both are on the list of the 25 most common passwords used on the Internet this year, according to SplashData, a provider of password management applications.

Other common passwords include simple numerical choices like "123456," common names like "Ashley" and "Michael," and patterns based on the layout of the keyboard like "qwerty" and "qazwsx," reports the Credit Union National Association's News Now.

According to SplashData, the most common passwords on the Web are:

1. Password
2. 123456
3. 12345678
4. Qwerty
5. abc123
6. monkey
7. 1234567
8. letmein
9. trustno1
10. dragon
11. baseball
12. 111111
13. iloveyou
14. master
15. sunshine
16. ashley
17. bailey
18. passw0rd
19. shadow
20. 123123
21. 654321
22. superman
23. qazwsx
24. michael
25. football

SplashData suggests making passwords more secure by using this advice:

• Use passwords of eight characters or more with mixed types of characters. One way to create longer, more secure passwords that are easy to remember is to use short words with spaces or other characters separating them. For example, "eat cake at 8!" or "car_park_city?"

• Avoid using the same username/password combination for multiple websites. Especially risky is using the same password for entertainment sites for online email, social networking, and financial services.

• Use a password management application that organizes and protects passwords and can automatically log in to websites; Norton Identity Safe is one good example. There are numerous applications available, but choose one with a strong track record of reliability and security.

Published January 30, 2012