Robust passwords have never been more crucial in the face of rapidly advancing technology and escalating cyber threats. However, recent research in the United Kingdom reveals a concerning statistic: just one in five individuals can distinguish a secure password from a risky one.
A study from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), marking World Password Day on Thursday, found that 20% of the U.K. public were also using the same password for multiple websites and devices, with many using pet names or a significant date, all practices discouraged by cybersecurity experts.
This approach persists despite 65% of respondents expressing fear of future hacking and 84% believing hackers are becoming more inventive.
The IET said it had published its research, which included a survey of 2,000 people aged 16 and over across the U.K. to help raise awareness about the need for strong passwords.
The study highlighted misconceptions about password safety among the public, according to the IET, with 38% of people believing that replacing letters with numbers is more secure when it comes to a password, with a further 45% thinking it makes them harder to guess, which the IET stated is not true.
In its study, only 20% correctly said that using three random words was a more secure password form.
Dr. Junade Ali, a cybersecurity expert and IET fellow, emphasized the increasing importance of strong passwords in our evolving online world, where hackers target multiple accounts due to weak and predictable passwords of victims due to weak and predictable passwords.
The IET's research shows that 65% of people think passwords should never be written down. Additionally, 77% believe changing passwords frequently makes them more secure, despite expert advice recommending otherwise.
If you use the same password for every website and the password is breached from one site, all sites can be compromised without the attacker needing to try any other passwords. This is known as credential stuffing. However, there are some easy ways to strengthen your defenses against cyber threats.
The IET has published a range of recommendations around password safety to help improve user security.
It urges users to create randomly generated, long, unique passwords for each website and says that, in general, the longer a password is, the better.
It also encourages people to use a password manager to store passwords and one that can alert users if their passwords are involved in a data breach.