David Squires

Avoid These — the Very Worst Passwords of the Year

In this case, the most popular really is the worst.

Published

11 years ago

November 6, 2012

David Squires

Avoid These — the Very Worst Passwords of the Year

YOU NEED to remember them. You need them a lot of places. And you need them on a lot of different devices.

People’s most common solution for “the password problem”? Repeatedly using the first (usually super-simple) password they ever thought of, over and over again, on dozens or even hundreds of websites. Result? A disaster that will inevitably (if you don’t change your ways, we guarantee it) result in you experiencing information loss, financial loss, and/or public embarrassment.

(Our solution: password management software like this (free) or this.)

Do it soon. And, if you happen to be using one of the 25 “worst” (a/k/a “most popular”) passwords of the year, as reported recently by Splash Data, do it right this second.

The worst password of the year? Trumpet fanfare, please …

1. password

2. 123456

3. 12345678

4. abc123

5. querty

6. monkey

7. letmein

8. dragon

9. 111111

10. baseball

11. iloveyou

12. trustno1

13. 1234567

14. sunshine

15. master

16. 123123

17. welcome

18. shadow

19. ashley

20. football

21. jesus

22. michael

23. ninja

24. mustang

25. password1

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”