Top 20 Passwords Most Frequently Exposed on the Dark Web

If you believed using 'Iloveyou' for all your online passwords was a romantic gesture, it’s time to rethink your strategy—especially when it comes to creating secure passwords.

According to CNBC, Lookout, a mobile security software firm, recently unveiled a list of the 20 passwords most frequently found in dark web data breaches. 'Iloveyou' ranked 19th, just above '666666.' While not ideal, it’s still better than using a single '0,' which secured the 14th spot. Many users appear to favor minimal effort: 'Qwerty' claimed third place, 'Qwerty123' took 10th, and 'Qwertyuiop' landed in 18th. Combining keyboard letters and numbers, like '1q2w3e,' isn’t as unique as you might think, as it ranked 11th.

The most noticeable pattern in the list is the use of sequential numbers. '123456' claimed the top position, followed by '123456789'—a clear reminder that length and numbers alone don’t guarantee a strong password. Similarly, overly obvious choices like 'Password,' which ranked fourth, are equally ineffective.

A strong password is essentially a random mix of letters, numbers, and special characters, completely unrelated to your personal details. For additional guidance on creating secure passwords, refer to Lookout’s comprehensive list of commonly leaked passwords below.

1. 123456
2. 123456789
3. Qwerty
4. Password
5. 12345
6. 12345678
7. 111111
8. 1234567
9. 123123
10. Qwerty123
11. 1q2w3e
12. 1234567890
13. DEFAULT
14. 0
15. Abc123
16. 654321
17. 123321
18. Qwertyuiop
19. Iloveyou
20. 666666