‘bigmac’ frequently used as a password, McDonald’s draws attention to predictable logins

AMSTERDAM, Feb. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — McDonald’s Netherlands is marking Change Your Password Day by drawing attention to the risks of simple and predictable passwords. Data from the website Have I Been Pwned shows that the password ‘bigmac’ has been used 110,922 times.

Have I Been Pwned is an international platform that collects information from data breaches and makes it accessible to consumers. People can use the site to check whether their email address or password appears in leaked datasets circulating online.

According to McDonald’s, the example illustrates how people often choose passwords that are easy to remember, such as the name of a partner, child or pet. Personal interests, as well as commonly used brands and products, are also frequently used as passwords.

The dataset also contains other terms referring to McDonald’s product names, including ‘frenchfries’ (34,407 times), ‘happymeal’ (17,269 times) and ‘mcnuggets’ (2,219 times). Many variations including numbers and special characters have also been found.

Cybersecurity organisations have long warned that weak passwords remain a significant security risk. International reports show that the number of data breaches has increased in recent years, with the financial impact of a single incident often reaching millions of euros. Weak or reused passwords are frequently cited as a major contributing factor.

Change Your Password Day is an international awareness day held annually to highlight the importance of strong passwords and updating them regularly. McDonald’s Netherlands says the initiative is intended to encourage consumers to reflect on password security.

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SOURCE McDonald’s