New data reported earlier this year by Security Magazine shared a report from Secure OAuth that 53% of users reuse the same passwords on multiple accounts. Among those 44% admit to using their personal passwords at work.
Additional findings include management having the worst password hygiene. Only 38% of those in leadership positions say their work passwords are unique. 34% of Director-level positions admit to using one of the most common passwords.
In 2018, OpenVPN reported that the number of employees reusing common passwords on their accounts was only 25%. This year, the percent has nearly doubled.
Password sharing also runs rampant in the office, with text message being the common way people share a password. As most users continue to work in a remote environment, it's important to teach your users how to have healthy password hygiene to avoid any potential data breach or malicious attack.
Some ways to avoid reusing the same passwords would be to invest in a password management system. Password management systems can help your users store complex passwords without having to remember the laundry list of passwords for you. You can also implement effective password policies, such as giving a timeframe on how often users should update their passwords, or consequences if a common password is used.
Consistent education is essential in ensuring your users are prepared with the tools to apply these best practices to their day-to-day work functions. New-school security awareness training can teach your users tips and tricks on how you can stay safe from the bad guys from infiltrating your account.
Here's how it works:
