New data shows the average American uses short, uncomplicated, and often predictable passwords, practices which only increase the insecurity of corporate user accounts.
Today, the password is a primary means of authenticating whether you are the owner of a given account or not. So, it stands to reason that passwords need to be secure. But new data from Security.org’s America’s Password Habits: 2020 report shows that American’s are more concerned with ease of use than an improved security stance:
- Nearly half (45%) of Americans use passwords that are less than eight characters!
- One-quarter share their personal passwords with others!
- Only 15% use a strong password generator
One of the problems may be that 37% rely on memory (more than any other method in the report) to keep track of passwords.
These password habits transfer to the organization, where users seek to simplify their navigation of corporate security.
There are a few best practices organizations can implement to help offset this:
- Have an enforced password policy that dictates minimum password length and complexity
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication
- Enroll users in Security Awareness Training so they understand why it’s important to have unique and secure passwords for corporate accounts and how to create one
