80% of data breaches start here: The most common passwords of 2025

The Current shows how AI is helping hackers crack passwords in seconds. Kim Komando breaks down the top 20 list, from “skibidi” to “admin,” and explains how your security habits make you a target for AI-powered data breaches.

⚡ TL;DR (THE SHORT VERSION)

Despite constant warnings, admin, password, and 123456 remain the most common passwords.
While Gen Z is using slang as passwords, older generations prefer certain names.
With over 80% of breaches caused by weak passwords, AI tools now crack simple passwords in seconds rather than hours.
Read time: 2 minutes

Gemini

By Kim Komando

January 11, 2026

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If your password is admin, you’re not alone, but you should be worried. NordPass released its seventh annual report on the world’s most common passwords, and the results show we still make it ridiculously easy for hackers.

Despite years of cybersecurity warnings, simple words, number sequences and keyboard patterns continue to dominate.

🤦‍♀️ Top 20 most common passwords

admin

password

123456

12345678

123456789

12345

Password

12345678910

Gmail.12345

Password1

Aa123456

f**k*ngsl*t (It’s profanity)

1234567890

abc123

Password1!

password1

1234567

111111

123123

One interesting trend: Special characters are making a comeback. Unfortunately, most aren’t any more secure. Think P@ssw0rd or Admin@123. Duh.

📊 Interesting trends

You’d think younger generations who grew up online would know better, but the data says otherwise. Password number combinations like 12345 and 123456 top the charts across all age groups. Jeez.

Gen Z and millennials prefer combinations like 1234567890 and skibidi (yes, really).

Older generations use names more often. Generation X favors Veronica, maybe from the Archie Comics. Baby boomers go with Maria, say from West Side Story. And the Silent Generation picks Susan, one of the most popular baby names from their time.

Names make passwords memorable but also make them sitting ducks for hackers.

🧐 Why does this matter?

Around 80% of data breaches are caused by compromised, weak and reused passwords. Hackers use dictionary and brute-force attacks to crack simple passwords in seconds. And now, AI is making it easier than ever to break into accounts.

Sophisticated algorithms can test millions of password combinations in minutes, turning what used to take hours into a matter of moments. That’s frightening. Imagine a hacker draining your bank or retirement account before you even asked for a vowel playing Wheel of Fortune.

NordPass, a sponsor of my radio shows, makes it easy to fight back.

This password manager generates strong, random passwords for every single account, stores them securely and fills them in automatically when you need them. You’ll never have to remember (or reuse) a weak password again.

NordPass also alerts you to compromised passwords and helps you enable multifactor authentication for an extra layer of protection. Stop making hackers’ jobs easy, let NordPass handle your password security so you don’t have to.

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