U.K. Report: "We’re Doomed-Passwords Aren’t Strong or Secure"

A recent survey of over 2,000 U.K. broadband users shows that individuals don’t use good password hygiene or secure storage to protect themselves against future cyberattacks.

At this point in our world, it’s pretty well-known that a) you need to use complex and lengthy passwords, b) don’t use the same password twice, and c) store them somewhere secure. But, according to a recent survey by U.K. broadband provider Broadband Genie, it’s evident that a good portion of people aren’t even doing that.

According to the report:

• 31 percent of individuals use the same password across online accounts and services
• Only 10 percent can correctly identify a truly secure password
• 44 percent “have a method” to create their passwords that doesn’t use software tools
• 62 percent don’t use a password manager application of any kind
• 70 percent choose to simply “memorize” their passwords

So, what we have here is a window into the mindset of users within your organization that creates risk. According to the data, your users have the same password across multiple systems, the password itself isn’t terribly secure, it’s likely that if the password is unique, it’s only off by a character or two as they are all committed to memory.

None of this bodes well for organizations. Users need to be educated on the importance of good password hygiene, security, and storage. Putting them through Security Awareness Training can assist in changing their mindset and attitude towards passwords, their complexity, and their need to be secured to benefit both the individual and the organization they work for.