It is surprising to me how common the practice of using the same password for all your logins is. Without a doubt it is hugely convenient to not have to remember dozens of password for each of the websites and other internet services you may use on a daily or weekly basis.

However, in a world where any and all information is right at our fingertips, we must consider how we are making it for our information to get in front of the wrong fingertips! If we use one password for everything, then if that password is ever compromised then so may our identity and security. We need to work to keep our personal identities safe.

Most experts suggest that everyone should choose at least two different passwords; a reasonably complex one for web sites where security is critical, such as online banking, and an easier to remember one for places where there is “less to lose”, such as social networking and entertainment sites.

You don’t have to go overboard when you to create more complex passwords; simple techniques like substituting numbers for letters and adding an extra character (e.g. # or $) can be enough. Here’s a few tips to use for creating passwords:

• Select one with 8 or more characters
• Add  a capital letter, number, and some form of punctuation mark (ex. Pa33w0rd!)
• Never use your street name or your own name in a password

Here is a list of the top 32 user passwords that got hacked from a company that makes software for social media sites like Facebook and MySpace:

Most popular passwords:

1.  123456
2.  12345
3.  123456789
4.  password
5.  iloveyou
6.  princess
7.  rockyou
8.  1234567
9.  12345678
10.  abc123
11.  nicole
12.  daniel
13.  babygirl
14.  monkey
15.  jessica
16.  lovely
17.  michael
18.  ashley
19.  654321
20.  qwerty
21.  iloveu
22.  michelle
23.  111111
24.  0
25.  tigger
26.  password1
27.  sunshine
28.  chocolate
29.  anthony
30.  angel
31.  FRIENDS
32.  soccer

Source: New York Times

Now, um, if you happen to be using one of these passwords now would be a good time to change it! 😉