{"id":72370,"date":"2025-11-24T15:21:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T07:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/?p=72370"},"modified":"2025-11-24T15:21:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T07:21:44","slug":"123456-remains-to-be-phs-top-password-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/2025\/11\/24\/123456-remains-to-be-phs-top-password-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"‘123456’ remains to be PH\u2019s top password in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

NordPass, together with NordStellar, has released the seventh edition of its annual Top 200 Most Common Passwords research. In addition to identifying the most popular passwords globally and in 44 countries, this year, the research focused on understanding how the passwords used by different generations vary.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most common passwords in the Philippines\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Below are the top 20 most common passwords in the Philippines. The full list of global passwords and those from other countries covered by this research is available\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. 123456<\/li>\n
  2. Gonzales56<\/li>\n
  3. admin<\/li>\n
  4. 12345678<\/li>\n
  5. 123456789<\/li>\n
  6. password<\/li>\n
  7. 12345678910<\/li>\n
  8. 12345<\/li>\n
  9. 1234567890<\/li>\n
  10. admin123<\/li>\n
  11. Password<\/li>\n
  12. 1234567<\/li>\n
  13. learning<\/li>\n
  14. smartbro<\/li>\n
  15. 123123<\/li>\n
  16. P@ssw0rd<\/li>\n
  17. Aa123123<\/li>\n
  18. qwerty123<\/li>\n
  19. 123qwe<\/li>\n
  20. abc123<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Although cybersecurity experts keep repeating that simple passwords are extremely easy to guess using a dictionary and brute-force attacks, Filipinos seem to ignore the warnings. Words, number combinations, and common keyboard patterns dominate the Philippines\u2019 top 20 list.<\/p>\n

    This year, \u201c123456\u201d is the most common password in the Philippines again, while \u201cGonzales56\u201d ranks second. However, different variations of the word \u201cpassword\u201d take up as many as three spots in the Philippines\u2019 top 20 most common passwords list. Different numeric combinations take up eight spots.<\/p>\n

    Researchers also point out that sports-related terms (e.g., \u201cfootball,\u201d \u201cbaseball\u201d) are being replaced by swear words in some countries. This is not the case in the Philippines as the vast majority of passwords are created from simple variations of letters and numbers.<\/p>\n

    Global trends\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Globally, \u201c123456\u201d is the most common password, followed by \u201cadmin\u201d in second place, and \u201c12345678\u201d in third \u2014 another simple numeric sequence. Such weak patterns, ranging from \u201c12345\u201d to \u201c1234567890,\u201d along with common weak passwords like \u201cqwerty123,\u201d dominate top 20 lists across many countries.<\/p>\n

    Compared to last year, researchers observed a significant increase in the use of special characters in passwords. This year, 32 passwords on the global list include them, a notable rise from just six last year. The most common special character in passwords is \u201c@,\u201d and most of the passwords are unfortunately no more complicated than \u201cP@ssw0rd,\u201d \u201cAdmin@123,\u201d or \u201cAbcd@1234.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The word \u201cpassword\u201d remains one of the most popular passwords worldwide. It\u2019s used both in English form and in local languages in nearly every country we studied \u2014 from Slovak \u201cheslo\u201d and Finnish \u201csalasana\u201d to French \u201cmotdepasse\u201d and Spanish \u201ccontrase\u00f1a.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cGenerally speaking, despite all efforts in cybersecurity education and digital awareness over the years, data reveals only minor improvements in password hygiene. The world is slowly moving towards passkeys \u2014 a new passwordless authentication method based on biometric data \u2014 but in the interim, until passkeys become ubiquitous, strong passwords are very important. Especially since around 80% of data breaches are caused by compromised, weak, and reused passwords, and criminals intensify their attacks till they can,\u201d says Karolis Arbaciauskas, head of product at\u00a0NordPass<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    The myth of the \u201cDigital Native\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Research shows that for Digital Natives \u2014 those who grew up immersed in the online world \u2014 extensive exposure to technology doesn’t automatically translate into a strong understanding of fundamental password security practices or the severe risks associated with poor choices.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe password habits of 18-year-olds are similar to those of 80-year-olds. Number combinations, such as \u201812345\u2019 and \u2018123456,\u2019 are in the top spots across all age groups. The biggest difference is that older generations are more likely to use names in their passwords,\u201d says Arbaciauskas.<\/p>\n

    Research reveals that Generations Z and Y rarely use names in their passwords, preferring combinations like \u201c1234567890\u201d and \u201cskibidi\u201d instead. The use of names in passwords becomes more prevalent starting with Generation X, peaking among Baby Boomers.<\/p>\n

    Among Generation X, the most popular name used as a password is \u201cVeronica.\u201d For Baby Boomers, it’s \u201cMaria,\u201d and for the Silent Generation, it’s \u201cSusana.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The full list is available\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Password safety tips<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    According to Arbaciauskas, a few basic rules can greatly improve digital hygiene and help avoid falling victim to cyberattacks due to irresponsible password management:<\/p>\n