Worst Passwords 2012: 'Password' Tops List, 'Jesus,' 'Ninja' Are New Additions

“Password” may be an easy and convenient password to use online, but it also tops the list of the worst passwords of 2012 for security purposes.

The passwords “123456” and “12345678” follow “password” as the second and third-worst to use on the 2012 list compiled by SplashData, a company that specializes in password management applications.

New to the 2012 list are “welcome,” “jesus,” “ninja,” “mustang,” and “password1.”

"At this time of year, people enjoy focusing on scary costumes, movies and decorations, but those who have been through it can tell you how terrifying it is to have your identity stolen because of a hacked password,” said Morgan Slain, SplashData CEO, in a press release. “We're hoping that with more publicity about how risky it is to use weak passwords, more people will start taking simple steps to protect themselves by using stronger passwords and using different passwords for different websites."

Slain said her company came up with the 25 worst passwords by poring through stolen password data. Anyone who uses one of the 25 worst passwords is urged to change their login information immediately.

You can make your password more secure by following these tips from SplashData:

1) Use passwords of eight characters or more with mixed types of characters. One way to create longer, more secure passwords that are easy to remember is to use short words with spaces or other characters separating them. For example, “eat cake at 8!” or “car_park_city?”

2) Avoid using the same username/password combination for multiple websites. Especially risky is using the same password for entertainment sites that you do for online email, social networking, and financial services. Use different passwords for each new website or service you sign up for.

3) Having trouble remembering all those different passwords? Try using a password manager application that organizes and protects passwords and can automatically log you into websites. SplashID safe is a good choice, according to SplashData.

“It just takes a few extra moments to make a password better,” Slain said. “If you get started now and make it a resolution to keep it up, your life online will be safer and more secure in 2013.”

Consider changing your password if it’s on this list of the 25 worst passwords in 2012 (2011 SplashData ranking change in parentheses):

1. password (Unchanged)

2, 123456 (Unchanged)

3. 12345678 (Unchanged)

4. abc123 (Up 1)

5. qwerty (Down 1)

6. monkey (Unchanged)

7. letmein (Up 1)

8. dragon (Up 2)

9. 111111 (Up 3)

10. baseball (Up 1)

11. iloveyou (Up 2)