In my lifetime, I have created specifically one awesome password. It’s 24 characters long, consists of letters and numbers, and is often a memorable sentence that no rational person, using the exception of myself, would actually know. every single other password I’ve created—and occasionally still use—is crap.
I use this awesome password with my LastPass account, which in fact handles all of my password creation and management. It frequently spits out shorter passwords complete of letters and numbers, but they’re created in such a way that they’re neither guessable nor memorable. LastPass, by the way, will be the free, online, award-winning password manager I’ve been using for almost two years.
I don’t know what I’d do without having it, but I now know what quite a few other people today do once they don’t use password creation and therapy products, including LastPass, RoboForm or perhaps Norton web Security: They create some of the worst and most embarrassing passwords known to man.
I enquired my Twitter followers to reveal their worst and most embarrassing passwords (though not ones they currently use) and obtained back some whoppers. I suspect that a few of they are the same as your embarrassing electronic code words. My hope is the fact that this record will entertain (some are chuckle-worthy) and educate you (now you have evidence that the personal passwords are ridiculous). I swear folks, they are real.
Before we get to the list, though, if you insist on creating your own passwords, here are some rules to live by:
- Use at least six characters
- Mix letters and numbers
- Other characters, like underscores, work, too
- Use uppercase and lowercase letters
- A sentence is great as long as it’s not a famous quote
- Do not use the same password in multiple places
With that out of the way, let’s look at some of your worst and most embarrassing passwords.
1) 12345
This guy is popular on computers and, apparently, luggage. It’s no easier to remember a physical lock combo than it is a digital one, so many people who buy briefcases with locks and either never set them and pull the red tab (that would be me) or make sure that the combo is the most obvious in existence.
2) password
As you might guess, this is one of two password selections that showed up more than once. If you’re still using it, you might as well print out all your personal documents, financial records, and photos, tape them to a minivan, and drive it around the neighborhood.
3) Teletubbie
Having trouble writing this because I…am…laughing…so…hard. Parents of young children can be partially excused for using this embarrassment, but next time, I suggest something with a bit more edge like: DoraTheImpaler.
4) homeboyee
This one might be a little embarassing when you have that conversation with your IT administrator. You’ll say it, the admin will likely snicker (and assume he heard you wrong), you’ll spell it out, and then you’ll get that look.
5) CaseSensitive
This one wouldn’t be so terrible if it weren’t so painfully obvious.
6) hellogod
This one isn’t so bad, but if someone gets a hold of this one, you may be pegged as a religious zealot.
7) goldeneye
Nerds and geeks have a habit of using their favorite characters and/or movie and book titles in their passwords. This one isn’t too nerdy, but if anyone knows you’re a fan of James Bond, your goose is cooked. As an aside, all Star Wars fans should steer clear of Jedi, Luke, and Darth.
<3BSB<3
This is actually a good password (look at those characters!), but completely embarrassing subject matter. Its author revealed that she was very into the Backstreet Boys when she came up with it. I wonder if her new password is NKOTB.
9) OpenUp
This is easily one of the worst passwords ever. In fact, I doubt any real thought went into it.
10) gotohell40
No one likes turning 40 (or 50, 60 or 70), but this kind of password is only safe when you’re not 40.
11) F*ckOffPlease
One Twitter follower told me that every one of his passwords at his old job was a profanity or a phrase featuring a profanity. Clearly, the guy had some issues at work. Here’s hoping he’s now at a new job where the spiciest password he uses is EveryoneHereIsSoNice.
12) asdfhgjkl
This one is a classic. At first, it looks pretty good and you might think, “Look, it’s just random letters. Who would ever figure that one out?” However, those letters look kind of familiar, don’t they? Take a good look at your keyboard. That’s right, it’s all the letters in the third row, from “a” to “l.”
Share your password missteps in the comments area below.
