Jesus will not save you from hackers. Nor will a ninja!

G'day to you! I trust you're in fine fettle, eh. Pour yourself a mug of perky Arabica and use it to wash down a virtual treat or two. Say...can you remember all your passwords? I have trouble with it for sure.  Here are some you should NOT use.  While “password” still ranks number one for the most commonly used passwords, new entries, such as “jesus” and “ninja” make SplashData’s list of the Worst Passwords of 2012.

Internet security company SplashData has just released its annual list of the most common – and, therefore, vulnerable – passwords. While “password,” “123456” and “12345678” once again topped the list, new entries for 2012 included “jesus” and “ninja.”

The top 25 passwords from the Worst Passwords of 2012 list is as follows:

Obviously, if you’re using one of these passwords – or something equally weak – you’d be well advised to rethink your password strategy. According to Microsoft, passwords should be:

1. At least eight characters long.
2. Comprised of letters, symbols, numbers and punctuation marks.
3. Changed about every three months.
4. Used on a per-site basis (in other words, don’t use the same password for anything).

“That’s all well and good,” you say. “But I have 20 or 30 password-protected accounts. How could I possibly remember so many complex passwords?” Well, a password management app may make your life much easier.

LastPass is mone of them. It’s a cloud-based app that can be used to create strong passwords whenever one is needed, remember those passwords and automatically log you into websites. LastPass is super-easy to use, works with Windows, Mac and Linux computers and the basic version is completely free. I'm soon going to have to start using it, I think... though there's something that niggles me about giving control of  my passwords over to somebody else, if you know what I mean.

See ya, eh!

Bob