The Most Common Password in India Can Be Cracked in Under a Second
According to NordPass’ latest Top 200 Most Common Passwords report, the most frequently used password in India remains “123456,” followed closely by “password” itself. This annual study, now in its sixth year, identifies the most common passwords across 44 countries, revealing global trends in password choices. “123456” tops the list worldwide, with 3,018,050 users relying on it for their online accounts, including 76,981 users from India. The second most popular password globally is “123456789,” which ranks as the fourth most common in India.
The study, carried out in collaboration with NordStellar, highlights the reliance on basic, easy-to-guess keyboard patterns, such as “qwerty,” “1q2w3e4er5t,” and “123456789.” In India, these trends also hold, as millions use similar simple combinations for both personal and work-related accounts. Another past NordPass study found that an average internet user has around 168 passwords for personal accounts and 87 for work accounts. To manage so many passwords, many users fall back on predictable patterns, which, unfortunately, are highly vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
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Cybersecurity experts have long advised against using easily cracked passwords, as most of these combinations can be broken in less than a second. However, users in various countries, including the Netherlands, Canada, and Finland, continue to use “qwerty123” as their top choice, with this password also ranking in the top 10 most common passwords in India.
One surprising password that remains popular worldwide is the simple word “password,” which ranks second in India and is also frequently used in Australia and the UK. In India, passwords also show some cultural influence, with variations like “Indya123” appearing as popular options. Other commonly used phrases include “admin” and “abcd1234,” echoing a trend from previous years.
One worrying finding from the NordPass study is that 78% of the world’s most common passwords can be cracked in less than a second—a rise from 70% in the previous year, underscoring a decline in password security.
Corporate Passwords Are Also at Risk
The study also found that about 40% of passwords used by employees in corporate environments are the same as those used in personal accounts. Business users often resort to default phrases like “newmember,” “newpass,” “newuser,” and “welcome” when creating passwords, a practice that makes corporate systems especially vulnerable to intrusions. Employees are also inclined to retain default passwords set up by IT departments, such as “admin” or “temppass,” which contributes significantly to security risks in corporate settings. Compounding this issue, many employees use the same password across personal and work accounts, further weakening defenses.
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How to Secure Your Accounts
To safeguard account credentials, it’s crucial to use strong passwords or passphrases, ideally at least 20 characters long and containing a mix of random numbers, letters, and symbols. Studies show that complex passwords significantly reduce the likelihood of being cracked. Avoid reusing passwords across different accounts, and enable multi-factor or two-factor authentication whenever possible. This added security measure helps protect your other accounts in the event of a breach. For those who find it difficult to remember complex passwords, free password manager tools are available to help securely store and manage them.
By taking these steps, users can improve their password security and make it significantly harder for cybercriminals to access sensitive accounts.
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