The world's most common passwords revealed, Are you using them?

The most common passwords of 2016 include "123456", "qwerty" and  "111111", according to a recently released compilation. Anyone using one of these guessable strings of letters and numbers would be wise to change them immediately if they want to keep their information safe.

More than 50pc of people use the top 25 most common passwords, according to password manager Keeper, with a significant 17pc - almost one in five - of all users having "123456" as their protective code.

Keeper compiled the list by scouring 10 million passwords leaked in data breaches. Predictably, the most popular passwords include variations of "123456" and "qwerty", as well as "password" and "google".

HOW TO Pick a password

1.    Don't re-use passwords. One ultra-secure one won't be any good if someone finds it

2.    While combining upper and lower case passwords with numbers to alter a memorable word - M4raD0na - is often advised, these are more easily cracked than you might think

3.    Good advice is to make a memorable, unusal sentence: "I am a 7-foot tall metal giant" is better than "My name is John", and use the first letter of each word with punctuation: "Iaa7-ftmg"

4.    Alternatively, you can use a password manager such as 1Password, which can generate secure passwords and store them online

5.    The best way to protect yourself is to use two-factor authentication, which will send a text with a code or use an app to verify your log-in

The list is more worrying than a similar released last year that showed the most common passwords of 2015 included "starwars", "monkey" and "football".

Given the number of people still using common passwords despite dozens of high profile data breaches, Keeper said websites should be responsible for cracking down on easy-to-guess strings of letters and numbers.

"While it's important for users to be aware of the risks, a sizeable minority are never going to take the time or effort to protect themselves," said Keeper. "The bigger responsibility lies with website owners who fail to enforce the most basic password complexity policies."

They warned that password cracking software can guess codes that are six characters long in seconds, especially if they use sequential keys.

Don't be a scam victim

The bank or will never phone you for your PIN or password

No company will send someone to your home to collect financial information or your bank card. Neither will they ask you transfer money to a new account for fraud reasons

 No business or individual needs to know your personal financial information – including the bank or the police. Do not disclose your PIN, password or personal details unless you are sure of who you are talking to

Do not assume a caller is genuine if they know personal details about you. This could have been garnered elsewhere or pieced together through other means

Top 20 most common passwords

1.    123456

2.    123456789

3.    qwerty

4.    12345678

5.    111111

6.    1234567890

7.    1234567

8.    password

9.    123123

10. 987654321

11. qwertyuiop

12. mynoob

13. 123321

14. 666666

15. 18atcskd2w

16. 7777777

17. 1q2w3e4r

18. 654321

19. 555555

20. 3rjs1la7qe