Tuesday 20 January 2015 5:49 pm

Here are 25 of the world’s worst passwords

Is your go-to password a mish-mash of "password" followed by a random sequence of numbers? If so then it could be time for a change.

SplashData has released a list of the world's worst passwords that expose internet users to being hacked or having their identities stolen.

Simple numerical passwords should be avoided, with nine of the top 25 passwords comprising numbers only.

Other passwords to ditch include anything related to a person's favourite sport, their birthday or year of birth as well as common names like "Michael", "Jennifer" or "Thomas."

Swear words and phrases, hobbies, famous athletes, car brands and film names are also a no-no.

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

"As more websites require strong passwords or combinations of letters and numbers, long keyboard patterns are becoming common passwords, and they are still not secure," Slain said. This refers to combinations such as 1qaz which uses all the keys on the left-hand side of the keyboard.

Here's the list below: