Many People Use the Same Passwords Over and Over Again - Alarming Data
Recent research in the UK shows that many users rely on the same passwords for multiple services, which can lead to security breaches.
- Skynet Software conducted a research in Great Britain regarding cyber security;
- It shows, among others, that 2/3 of respondents use the same three passwords all the time;
- 48% of users set the same password on private and business accounts;
- 71% of iPhone owners ignore security notifications.
The research conducted by Skynet Software reveals the scale of the problem that is using the same few passwords in different services. The research work took place in the UK, and the results may chill many online security professionals. The research sample was 2200 people.
According to researchers at Skynet Software two-thirds of respondents use just three passwords, alternating between about 50 different accounts, and 48% use the same password for both their personal and business accounts. Not only is our security so repetitive, but we tend to use fairly easy-to-guess words. The most popular types of passwords were: street names (20%), pet names (15%) or important dates (14%). All of those can be cracked fairly easily.
The survey shows that only 5% of respondents change their password regularly, while a vast majority decide to do it on average every 7 years, most often only after they notice that something is wrong with their account. More than half of the people admit that they are afraid of simply forgetting what the new security measure was and almost every third person claims that they are not creative enough to think of something safe enough. Finally, some very disturbing data regarding owners of iPhones. Almost 3/4 of surveyed owners ignore alerts related to the security of their data.
In addition to changing your passwords regularly, remember that it's always a good idea to use two-step authentication, which can significantly increase your security by requiring you to confirm your login on, for example, your smartphone. And if your password seems too weak, you can use a special password generator that will create a suitably strong combination.
