The 25 Most Vulnerable Passwords of 2026

"The methodology involved assessing Comparitech's Most Common Password report and NordPass's Top 200 Most Common Passwords list, then leveraging KeywordTool to determine search volumes to find the 25 most common passwords based on global popularity. According to the research, higher search volumes could suggest higher public interest, which could lead to higher password usage. Therefore, this places those passwords at a greater risk of being hacked."

"With a search volume of 10,304,600 in the past year, "password" is the most insecure password of 2026. This finding corroborates recent reports that password convenience is favored over password security in many instances. Top 25 Most Vulnerable Passwords of 2026 The research additionally assessed the most insecure password categories, finding the most vulnerable to be ascending/descending letters or numbers."

"Our research indicates that a significant number of users continue to believe that combining letters, symbols, and numbers is sufficient to secure their accounts in 2026. While a password may appear robust, attackers can rapidly exploit predictable patterns such as sequential numbers, repeated characters, or common keyboard layouts through brute force methods. A strong password should function as an access point, designed to resist systematic attack rather than prioritise memorability. Combined with multifactor authentication, this approach materially reduces the risk of unau"

Plasma compared Comparitech and NordPass password lists and used KeywordTool search volumes to rank the 25 most common passwords globally. Higher search volumes were treated as an indicator of greater public interest and potential usage, increasing hacking risk. The single most vulnerable password in 2026 is "password", with a yearly search volume of 10,304,600. The most vulnerable password categories include ascending/descending sequences, patterned and typing patterns, alphanumeric combinations, repeated digits, capitalization, common words, "Password" variants, admin defaults, and names. Predictable patterns enable rapid brute-force exploitation; multifactor authentication reduces compromise risk.

Read at Securitymagazine