Most common pop culture passwords revealed – is yours on the list?

Recognise any of these from your passwords? (Picture: Getty/Wiki Commons)

We know, we know, you’ve heard all the warnings about not reusing passwords before, blah blah blah.

And yet people still keep doing it, despite thousands of cyberattacks happening every day.

But even if you’re a big believer in different passwords for different websites, how secure is each one?

Well if you’re using the names of any famous people, bands or sports teams, the answer is ‘not very’.

Recent analysis by smart inbox company Mailsuite has revealed the most common pop culture passwords found in data breaches – and some might surprise you.

For example, the most popular band used as a password is, drumroll please, Blink-182. Yes, the pop-punk rockers who scored the turn of the millennium for a generation of teens was found 482,244 times in leaked details.

Will Smith, star of The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, is a popular password (Picture: NBC)

It seems early Noughties musicians have had a big influence on 2024 passwords, with Eminem the leading solo artist trusted to keep people’s online identities safe, appearing 286,263 times.

He was followed by 50 Cent and Shakira, found 267,691 and 57,848 times respectively.

While the data isn’t linked to age, given the artists, it’s giving off major Millennial vibes – disappointing, given they were the first generation of digital natives.

However, not all of the pop culture passwords date so easily.

In terms of actors, the three most popular are Zac Efron, with 24,268, Brad Pitt, found 18,152 times, and Johnny Depp, with 17,314 appearances. Al Pacino (12,297), Will Smith (10,558) and Tom Cruise (7,650) also make the top ten.

But of all the leaked names, which is the most popular pop culture password? Well, it soars above all the others, both literally and figuratively.

Thousands of people use Tom Cruise as their password (Picture: Getty)

Is it a band? Is it a film? No, the most common pop culture password leaked online is none other than Superman, found a shocking 584,697 times. And let’s be honest, there’s nothing super about using such an obvious password.

Other superheroes and film franchises include Batman, found 352,422 times, Star Wars just behind with 323,546, and Spider-Man on 253,179.

Fellow fiction names include Pikachu, which topped the list of video game characters, appearing 96,430, while Minecraft topped the list of actual video games used as passwords, used 215,934 times.

We know, passwords are a pain – it seems like you need to remember dozens a day now just to go about normal daily life.

But not staying safe online can have major consequences, from being locked out of your accounts to having your identity or savings stolen.

So be a superhero to yourself, and spend some time updating those passwords – or better yet, switch to passkeys where you can.

How to keep your online world safe

Create strong passwords from random sequences of letters, numbers and symbols, not words or common sequences. You might even throw an emoji in there

Use a password manager. The average person now has 100 different passwords, so it’s easy to see why it’s so tempting to use easy-to-remember words or the same for multiple sites. A password manager solves this

Always turn on two-step authentication when offered. This means even if a hacker gets hold of your password, you account should still be safe because a second code will be sent to your phone, an app, or a separate email account

Try passkeys. These are the latest step in online security, removing the need for passwords and using either a fingerprint, face scan or screen lock PIN