The Internet's top 25 worst passwords

Keep in mind that the report only tells us the popularity of the top 25 passwords relative to one another, not their absolute popularity. It's conceivable, then, that both “password” and “ 123456” are less common across the Internet than they were a year ago. In fact, SplashData CEO Morgan Slain confirmed to me via email that the weakest passwords have declined in popularity in recent years — but only slightly. “We keep hoping for steeper declines as people get more educated about the risks of simple passwords (hence the annual list) and as websites start to enforce stronger password policies,” he said.So in the spirit of educational password-shaming, here's SplashData's list of this year's 25 worst passwords, along with expert analysis of what each one says about the sort of person who uses it. If you find one of your own on the list, it would be prudent to promptly re-examine your entire life change it.1. 123456I can't be bothered to take even the most basic step to protect my personal information. Seriously, just go ahead and take it.2. passwordI failed to understand the question.3. 12345678I tried “123456,” but the computer said I had to use at least eight characters.4. qwertyAren't I clever? My password is written right there on the keyboard.5. abc123I'm a fan of the Jackson Five.6.123456789I'm a positive-integer maximalist.7. 111111I managed to find one of the few passwords that's both easy to crack and hard to remember. (How many 1s was it, again?)8. 1234567Seven is my lucky number!9. iloveyouI'm Theodore Twombly.10. adobe123You may have cracked my Adobe password, hacker, but you'll never guess my password for Microsoft!11. 123123Aha! You were expecting 123456, weren't you?12. adminI should be fired immediately.13. 1234567890I have mastered the base-10 numeral system.14. letmeinMight as well let everyone else in, too.15. photoshopThey told me not to use the same password for every program, so...16. 1234I can't be bothered to take even the most basic step to protect my personal information, and neither can the people who run this site.17. monkeyI am an actual monkey.18. shadowI fancy myself quite sneaky.19. sunshineI cry myself to sleep at night.20. 12345I cannot be bothered to take even the most basic advice etc.21. password1My last password was compromised, so I added a “1” this time for extra security.22. princessI'm waiting to be swept off my feet by a Nigerian prince.23. azertyHey, at least it's better than qwerty.24. trustno1It's not paranoia if they really do keep guessing my password.25. 000000My day job is coming up with nuclear launch codes.Will Oremus is the lead blogger for Slate's Future Tense, reporting on emerging technologies, tech policy and digital culture.(independent.co.uk)ANN.Az