Have you ever used "123456" or "password" as your password to something secure online? If so then you are using one of the two worst log-ins on the web according to online security experts.


SplashData has released its fourth annual "Worst Passwords" report, which gathered data from the more than three million passwords that have been leaked online in the last year. The most common, and therefore least secure log-ins involve using the numbers one to six and the word "password"; with both now having occupied the top two spots in every year since the report began in 2011.


SplashData's chief executive Morgan Slain said of the results: "Passwords based on simple patterns on your keyboard remain popular despite how weak they are. Any password using numbers alone should be avoided, especially sequences.


"As more websites require stronger passwords or combinations of letters and numbers, longer keyboard patterns are becoming common passwords, and they are still not secure."


Sequences occupy nine of the top 25 spaces in the worst password list, including new entry "696969". The word "batman" also climbed into the top 25 for the first time.


According to the security firm, the majority of passwords evaluated for the 2014 list were held by users in Europe and North America, and SplashData has called for users to do more to protect their sensitive data.


Tips offered for password generation include not using a favourite sport, for example "football" or "baseball" - both of which make the worst top 10. The names of popular sports teams should also be avoided according to web experts, as five popular US teams all appear in the top 100. Birthdays should also not be used, in particular the year of your birth; the years 1989-1992 all make the top 100 too.
2014 saw a series of major security breaches, involving the leaking of log in details from iCloud users, messaging service Snapchat and Sony Pictures.


Online security expert Mark Burnett said: "The bad news from my research is that this year's most commonly used passwords are pretty consistent with prior years.


"The good news is that it appears that more people are moving away from using these passwords. In 2014, the top 25 passwords represented about 2.2% of passwords exposed. While still frightening, that's the lowest percentage of people using the most common passwords I have seen in recent studies."

The top 10 word passwords of 2014 were:
1. 123456 (Unchanged from 2013)
2. password (Unchanged)
3. 12345 (Up 17)
4. 12345678 (Down 1)
5. qwerty (Down 1)
6. 1234567890 (Unchanged)
7. 1234 (Up 9)
8. baseball (New)
9. dragon (New)
10. football (New)