People are out of touch with reality when it comes to password and identity safety online, research has found.
Despite the fact the last two years alone saw about 10 million online records in the UK affected by security breaches, in a study commissioned by identity security company Ping Identity almost three-quarters of respondents (72 percent) believe they have never had the security of their online accounts compromised.
Those surveyed also over-estimate the complexity of their passwords. Almost 80 percent believe that their passwords are difficult for others to guess. This is especially alarming as survey also suggests the top three passwords of 2014 were ‘123456’, ‘password’ and ‘12345’.
In response to companies enforcing stricter guidelines on password creation, more than half of respondents (63 percent) found it difficult to remember all their online passwords. The top techniques respondents used to remember their passwords include:
– Entering passwords as a contact in their mobile phone
– Using an online password manager
– Keeping passwords listed in an Excel spreadsheet
– Writing passwords on a sticky note taped to the computer monitor or keyboard
An alarming number of respondents admitted to following risky password habits. A third (31 percent) have shared their passwords to personal online accounts with other people. Half (49%) noted that they use the same password across multiple websites, putting multiple online access points at risk if one is ever breached.
Jason Goode, managing director, EMEA, at Ping Identity, said: “By now organisations should be aware that passwords are passé when it comes to effectively protecting their customers’ data and identities.
“These findings show that consumers are their own worst enemy online and organisations needs to be more vigilant in protecting their customers not only from hackers, but also from themselves. Organisations are essentially relying on an archaic practice to keep data safe. By deploying systems that centre on a consumer’s identity, organisations can ensure that their employees and customers don’t fall victim to risky password habits and human error.”
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Few of us can firmly remember many strong passwords. It is like we cannot run as fast and far as horses however strongly urged we may be. We are not built like horses.
At the root of the password headache is the cognitive phenomena called “interference of memory”, by which we cannot firmly remember more than 5 text passwords on average. What worries us is not the password, but the textual password. The textual memory is only a small part of what we remember. We could think of making use of the larger part of our memory that is less subject to interference of memory. More attention could be paid to the efforts of expanding the password system to include images, particularly KNOWN images, as well as conventional texts.