Most of us are still reusing passwords, despite all the warnings
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Despite the vast majority of people – 89% – knowing the risks of reusing the same password, 62% of consumers still choose to use repeated passwords, according to new research from LastPass.
In addition, the report found that only 12% of respondents use different passwords for different accounts.
The survey, which examined the password security behavior of 3,750 professionals in seven countries, asked respondents about their thinking and behavior about online security.
Who are the worst offenders?
While Gen Z is most confident in their password managers and describes their password methods as “very secure” on average, they are also the biggest offenders in terms of poor password hygiene.
While Gen Z will likely recognize that using the same or similar password for multiple logins is a risk, they use a variant of a single password 69% of the time, alongside millennials who do so 66% of the time.
In addition, the report found that Gen Z is most likely to create stronger passwords for social media and entertainment accounts, compared to other generations.
On the other hand, Gen Z is the generation most likely to use memorization to keep track of their passwords (51%), while baby boomers are least likely to remember their passwords at 38%.
The report also revealed a generally low level of confidence when it came to cybersecurity, with 70% of respondents saying they are neutral about their cybersecurity fluency, while only 24% are confident and 7% say “nothing.” trust”.
In addition, relatively few respondents take the right measures to protect themselves from hackers, if we are to believe the report’s findings.
Only four in ten use multi-factor authentication (MFA), while only 23% use a password manager and 8% do nothing at all.
“Our latest research shows that even in the face of a pandemic, where we were spending more time online amid increasing cyber-attacks, there is still a connection for people when it comes to protecting their digital lives,” said Christofer Hoff. , Chief Secure Technology Officer for LastPass.
“The reality is that while nearly two-thirds of respondents have had some form of cybersecurity education, it is not put into practice for a variety of reasons.
He added, “For both consumers and businesses, a password manager is an easy step to keep your accounts safe and secure.”
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