Italy's top passwords include Serie A football teams and a first name.

The most used password in Italy and the world in 2021 is '123456' according to new research from global password manager NordPass.

The annual report analysed passwords across 50 countries and the amount of time it takes to crack each one.

The study found that '123456' has been used in Italy 1.7 million times and takes just one second to crack.

After '123456' there is '123456789', followed by '12345' and '12345678'.

In fifth place we find 'qwerty', in sixth 'juventus', in seventh '000000', in eighth 'password'.

The ninth most used password in Italy is 'andrea': unlike the others in the top ten, which can be cracked in a second, this one takes two minutes.

Nordpass said its research showed that weak passwords was a global problem and that Italy, like most of Europe, has a high risk index.

“Unfortunately, passwords keep getting weaker, and people still don’t maintain proper password hygiene" - said NordPass CEO Jonas Karklys.

“It’s important to understand that passwords are the gateway to our digital lives" - said Karklys - "with us spending more and more time online, it’s becoming enormously important to take better care of our cybersecurity.”

NordPass recommends using complex passwords—with combinations of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols— and updating them regularly.