What could be worse than a password that is ‘password’?

These 10 passwords are the worst you could possibly use to 'secure' your email or social media accounts

If you thought it was "12345", you're close.

according to a California-based provider of security services and applications, SplashData, which compiles an annual list of the worst passwords used, the honour for being the worst password of 2014, as well as for every year since 2011, goes to “123456”.

The company ranks passwords according to how commonly they are used on the internet, a factor that exposes users to the possibility of their identities being stolen or their accounts being hacked.

"123456" and "password" retained their positions as two worst passwords used, as that they done for every year since the first list was published in 2011.

Other passwords in the top 10 include "qwerty," "dragon," and "football."

The report was compiled from more than 3.3 million leaked passwords, held by users mostly in Western Europe and North America, SplashData said.

Passwords that appeared on the list for the first time include “696969,” “batman,” “superman,” and “football,” among others.

"Passwords based on simple patterns on your keyboard remain popular despite how weak they are," said Morgan Slain, CEO of SplashData. "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."

Based on this year’s list, users are advised not to use their favourite sport or sports team, birthdays or birth years, or common names as passwords.

SplashData suggests users make use of passwords consisting eight characters or more, use mixed characters, and avoid using the same password for multiple websites.