Cognitive dissonance prevails, unchanged behaviors create new online security concern
LastPass by LogMeIn has released findings of its third Psychology of Passwords global report, revealing that people aren’t protecting themselves from cyber security risks even though they know they should. Year after year there is heightened global awareness of hacking and data breaches, yet consumer password behaviors remain largely unchanged. Data from the survey shows that 90 per cent of Australians know that using the same password on multiple accounts is a security risk, yet 69 per cent continue to use the same password anyway (above the global average of 66%). With people spending more time online, the evolution of cybersecurity threats and the unchanged behavior in creating and managing passwords creates a new level of concern around online security.
Released in time for World Password Day, the global survey polled 3,250 individuals across Australia, the United States, Singapore, Germany, Brazil, and the United Kingdom and provides evidence that increased knowledge of security best practices doesn’t necessarily translate into better password management.
Key findings include:
- Global cyber threats continue to skyrocket but password behaviors unchanged
Password behaviors remain largely unchanged from the same study conducted two years ago — translating to some risky behaviors. 54 per cent of Australians report not changing passwords in the past 12 months despite a breach in the news, compared to 53 per cent globally. And while 91 per cent of all respondents know that using the same password for multiple accounts is a security risk, 66 per cent mostly or always use the same password. This is up 8 per cent from our findings in 2018.
- Security-conscious thinking doesn’t translate to action
The data showed several contradictions, with respondents saying one thing and in turn, doing another. Australians feel more informed on password best practices (80% compared to 77% globally), yet 51 per cent still try to memorise passwords leading to 29 per cent resetting their passwords once or more a month because they forgot them. Overall, 80 per cent of respondents are concerned with having their passwords compromised, and yet 48 per cent never change their password if not required.
- Fear of forgetfulness = number one reason for password reuse
Most respondents (66%) use the same password for multiple accounts, which surprisingly has gone up 8 per cent from our 2018 findings. Why? The fear of forgetting login information continues to be the number one reason for password reuse (60%), followed by wanting to know and be in control of all of their passwords (52%).
- Awareness and usage of MFA increasing
The good news is there is broad awareness and usage of Multifactor Authentication (MFA). Fortunately, 56 per cent of Australians say they use MFA for their personal accounts and 35 per cent are using it at work. Only 19 per cent of total survey respondents said they did not know what MFA was. Respondents are also very comfortable with biometric authentication – using your fingerprint or face to login to devices or accounts. Most Australians (64%) said they trust fingerprint or facial recognition more than traditional text passwords.
“During a time where much of the world is working from home due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and people are spending more time online, the cyber threats facing consumers are at an all-time high. Individuals seem to be numb to the threats that weak passwords pose and continue to exhibit behaviors that put their information at risk,” said John Bennett, SVP & GM of Identity and Access Management at LogMeIn. “Taking just a few simple steps to improve how you manage passwords can lead to increased safety for your online accounts, whether personal or professional. Make World Password Day 2020 the tipping point for a change in your password behavior.”
Survey Methodology
The Psychology of Passwords survey was commissioned by LastPass and fielded by independent panel research firm Lab42 from March 5-15, 2020. The responses were generated from a survey of 3,250 adults, ages 18 to 60 who have multiple online accounts. Survey respondents represented the United States, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Where possible, results were compared with the 2018 Psychology of Passwords survey commissioned by LastPass.
