How clever is your password?  If it’s on the list below, your password is just as easily stolen as it is remembered. Protect yourself by making sure you’re not using one of the top 25 most commonly stolen passwords of 2015, as determined by IT security firm SplashData. 25

Data security is a critical issue. To create a more secure password, make sure you are not relying only on numbers, and try to avoid simple keyboard patterns. You may also want to avoid easy-to-find information such as birthdays, favourite sports teams and addresses.  Attempt to create a password that is eight or more letters long, and avoid using the same password for multiple access points. Take advantage of 2-step verification if its available, like it is for Gmail. You can also substiture letters or numbers with characters.

Whatever you do, don't write it down and keep it in an easily accessable place.

1. 123456
2. password
3. 12345678
4. qwerty
5. 12345
6. 123456789
7. football
8. 1234
9. 1234567
10. baseball
11. welcome
12. 1234567890
13. abc123
14. 111111
15. 1qaz2wsx
16. dragon
17. master
18. monkey
19. letmein
20. login
21. princess
22. qwertyuiop
23. solo
24. passw0rd
25. starwars

For more information of Data Security and Cyber Risks download our free 2016 Cyber Risk Guide