Can you guess what the most common online password is?
Actually, you probably could guess. Internet-security firm Imperva recently reported that 123456 is the most common password. Second-most common is 12345, followed by 123456789. And the fourth most common password is “password.”
The firm compiled the report after gaining access to 32 million passwords that were briefly posted online, during a major security breach in December.
The firm recommends that even if a web site doesn’t require you to, you should follow these rules:
- Choose a password that contains a minimum of eight characters.
- Include a mix of four different types of characters: uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and special characters such as !@#$%^&*.