Study: bad password practices are still widespread

Study: bad password practices are still widespread

San Francisco, 7.7. 2023

According to a recent study by Keeper Security – a provider of password management solutions – three out of four online users in the US and Europe are at risk of being hacked because of poor password practices.

The study surveyed 8,000 people in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany. Findings: 75% of respondents admitted they don’t follow password best practices, while nearly two-thirds (64%) admitted they use weak passwords or repetitive password variations to protect their online accounts.

“To analyze people’s personal cybersecurity hygiene, we asked which animal they would identify with in terms of their cybersecurity behavior,” said Darren Guccione, CEO and co-founder of Chicago-based Keeper, in a statement.

“More than one in four describe themselves as either an ostrich with their head in the sand, careless as a bull in a china shop, or a possum paralyzed with fear. The industry obviously still has work to do to make more people comfortable with cybersecurity and thereby better protected,” he added.

In search of the reasons for this careless behavior are given:

– the variety of accounts. Twenty years ago most people had three online accounts. With the onset of the pandemic, the number of accounts people have has exploded.

– ignorance. This is supported by the lack of cyber security awareness. Many are unaware of the danger associated with weak passwords.

– Password overload. Too many accounts and therefore many passwords. Some quickly lose track of things.

The conclusion was obvious: it doesn’t work without a password manager.

Company boss Keeper lists what one can do:

“In addition to creating and storing strong and unique passwords for all digital accounts, a password manager can provide protection against phishing attacks and malicious links by not filling in the credentials if the URL doesn’t match the one in the user’s vault,” he said he made a statement.

“A password manager can also be combined with dark web monitoring, allowing users to stay up to date with all account information and react immediately if credentials are compromised,” he added.

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