Vulnerable passwords played a part in the celebrity nude photo hack, and research suggests many internet users continue to risk their online safety when it comes to log-in details.

A government survey in October 2014 found that three quarters of Britons use passwords that are not secure. These include a pet’s name, place of birth or something related to a favourite sports team.

The list of the most common passwords of 2014 also highlighted this – based on millions of pieces of stolen data logged over the previous year, the two most common choices among web users were found to be “123456” and “password”.

Mark James, an IT security specialist, said that internet users need to do more to protect their data, rather than solely relying on the technology companies they store information with.

"We have to take some responsibility," he said.

“We need to always examine and evaluate what data is being uploaded by default and ask ourselves do we really need to store this data in the cloud? If we do then we have to take responsibility and ensure we use complex unique passwords, it’s your data, and it’s your life it affects if that data goes missing.

“Sadly most people choose ease of use over security. We all want easy in this modern age, we associate advances with electronics with making things simpler for us and very rarely look at the security risks involved when using these devices.”

James added that the recent publicity around cyber security is a good thing, as it has prompted a greater number of advice campaigns and conversations to take place.