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A 2009 analysis of 10,000 exposed Hotmail, MSN and Live.com credentials found that weak passwords were common: “123456” appeared 64 times, while many others were short or made entirely of lowercase letters. The list was only a partial cache, however, and Microsoft said the accounts were exposed through phishing rather than a breach of its internal systems.
What was the most common password?
WIRED reported that Acunetix’s analysis of 10,000 exposed credentials found “123456” to be the most common password, appearing 64 times. This is distinct from the “1234567” mentioned in the archive standfirst for Robert McMillan’s October 6, 2009 CSO article. The two strings should not be treated as the same finding.
What the 10,000-password sample showed
| Finding | Reported result | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Most common password | “123456” appeared 64 times | Reported by WIRED from Acunetix’s analysis |
| Lowercase letters only | 42% | Passwords contained no uppercase letters, numbers or symbols |
| Mixed alphanumeric and other characters | 6% | Only a small minority used that combination |
| Six-character passwords | Nearly 2,000 | Short passwords were widespread in the sample |
The credentials covered Hotmail, MSN and Live.com accounts. The addresses in the published list began with A or B, showing that analysts were looking at only part of a larger cache. Consequently, these percentages and counts cannot be presented as representative of all Hotmail users.
Were the accounts hacked or phished?
In a contemporaneous Ars Technica report, a Microsoft spokesperson said several thousand Windows Live Hotmail credentials had been exposed on a third-party site through a phishing scheme. Microsoft said its investigation found no breach of internal Microsoft data and that it was helping customers regain control of their accounts.
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#1 Best Overall
Forvencer Password Book with Individual Alphabetical Tabs, 5.3"x7.6" Medium
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That is Microsoft’s reported assessment at the time, not independent forensic proof. “Phished” describes credentials collected when people were tricked into entering them on a fraudulent page; it does not mean Microsoft’s authentication database was necessarily penetrated.
How many Hotmail passwords were exposed?
The analysis discussed 10,000 exposed passwords from Hotmail, MSN and Live.com accounts. Because the visible addresses started with A or B, that figure represents the analyzed sample, not necessarily the total number of credentials in circulation or the total number of affected customers.
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Elegant Password Book with Alphabetical Tabs - Hardcover Password Book for Internet Website Address Login - 5.2" x 7.6" Password Keeper and Organizer w/Notes Section & Back Pocket (Turquoise)
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Password Book with Alphabetical Tabs, Hardcover Password Keeper 4.3"x 5.7"
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MOSA BEAR Password Keeper Book with Alphabetical Tabs，4.3"x5.7" Small Password Books for Seniors Password Notebook for Internet Website Address Log in Detail（Dark Blue）
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ZXHQ Password Book with Colorful Alphabetical Tabs, 8.4" x 5.8" Hardcover Password Keeper & Internet & Login Organizer for Seniors, Home & Office, Sea Green
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Why the findings mattered
- Number sequences such as “123456” can be guessed quickly and reused across services.
- Lowercase-only passwords reduce the number of possible combinations.
- Six characters provide far less protection than a longer, unique passphrase.
- Phishing can defeat a strong password if the user submits it to a fake sign-in page.
What users should do today
- Use a different, long password for every email account and important service.
- Turn on multifactor authentication wherever the provider offers it.
- Change any password that was used on an exposed or suspicious site, including other accounts where it was reused.
- Reach the provider through a typed, bookmarked address rather than a link in an unexpected email.
- Review recovery addresses, phone numbers, forwarding rules and recent sign-in activity after regaining access.
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