Google Apps conducted a study of 2,000 people to learn more about their methods for choosing account passwords and found that most people choose words which are easy to work out.

The top 10 list is as follows:

1. Pet names
2. A notable date, such as a wedding anniversary
3. A family member’s birthday
4. Your child’s name
5. Another family member’s name
6. Your birthplace
7. A favourite holiday
8. Something related to your favourite sports team
9. The name of a significant other
10. The word “Password”

Google points out that information such as birthdays, anniversaries and names can be easily researched using Facebook. It is also generally recommended that you lie when setting account security questions like “what is your mother’s maiden name?” More than half of us people share our passwords with others, and three per cent write their passwords down on a post-it note stuck near their computer.