iscover
Share this article on:
Powered by
MOMENTUM
MEDIA
A new report has shed light on our password habits, and it’s not a particularly promising picture.
According to data from Verizon, perhaps up to 80 per cent of data breaches are the result of compromised passwords and login details. But despite this, the most recent Password Management Report from password security company Keeper reveals that most people are remarkably lax when it comes to their passwords.
Keeper polled 8,000 people in the US, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany, asking them what they thought of their password habits and their cyber security knowledge.
The report found that while most people do, in fact, understand the importance of strong passwords, three in four respondents failed to follow best practices when it comes to passwords, and only 7 per cent felt that password managers were the best solution.
In fact, only 25 per cent of those polled felt that strong passwords were the best way to keep their data secure, and only 19 per cent have faith in multifactor authentication.
And when people do use what they consider to be strong passwords, 34 per cent of them reuse words and other variations of a single password.
Interestingly, there seems to be a generational gap over password usage, and it may not skew the way you think. One of the most secure cohorts is Baby Boomers — possibly because of the greater use of important financial or other documents. Thirty per cent of Boomers use strong and unique passwords, while only 20 per cent of Gen Z engage in similar practices.
The figures are not much better when it comes to cyber security comprehension. Just over half of those polled felt that cyber security was easy to understand, despite the clear lack of password nous.
“... Of those who found it easy to understand, half said they used repeat variations of passwords,” the report read. “This suggests a large number of those surveyed are grossly overestimating their cyber-savvy or are wilfully ignoring password hygiene advice.”
A third of people felt that cyber security was difficult to understand, however, as well as found the topic to be overwhelming. In one way or another, four in 10 polled admitted that the topic was a difficult one.
“Password management does not need to be complex, overwhelming or difficult to understand even with a large number of digital accounts to secure,” said Craig Lurey, chief technology officer and co-founder of Keeper Security. “Using a password manager is an ideal way for anyone to protect themself. Along with creating and storing strong and unique passwords for all digital accounts, a password manager can offer protection against phishing attacks and malicious links because it will not fill credentials if the URL doesn’t match what’s in the user’s vault.”
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
Be the first to hear the latest developments in the cyber industry.
