If you\u2019ve ever used number passwords like \u201c123456\u201d or \u201c123455678\u201d to protect an online account, it wouldn\u2019t be surprising if you\u2019ve had a stolen password at some point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the age of IoT device proliferation<\/a>, when your computer and your fridge share data faster than you can imagine, it\u2019s a disgrace for the human race to still rely on passwords like \u201ciloveyou.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, too many people still have poor password habits that make it super easy for hackers to access data that doesn\u2019t belong to them. Read on to learn from other people\u2019s mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is critical to use strong passwords. They keep your sensitive personal information private by protecting your electronic accounts and gadgets from illegal access. Here are some interesting statistics about passwords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The whole conundrum with passwords: coming up with them, remembering them, updating them, began in the 1960s. The first computer password was generated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for an early computer system called Compatible Time-Sharing System (CTSS). Passcodes have been around as long as computing itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Cybernews)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data breach statistics<\/a> warn of a growing number of cyber threats. But credential theft – stealing usernames and passwords is the oldest trick in the book. This type of theft opens endless criminal possibilities for hackers, including opening fraudulent bank accounts, buying things online, or applying for loans. Cybercriminals can also compile credentials and trade them amongst themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Zippia)<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2020, cyberattacks exposed 155.8 million digital U.S. records, and approximately 1,001 major data breaches were reported in the United States. Meanwhile, an estimated 30,000 websites are hacked every day around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, every year since 2016 \u2014 including 2020 \u2014 there have been approximately 4,000 international ransomware attacks, representing a 300% increase since 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Ponemon Institute)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Given the complexities of securing a modern, mobile workforce, businesses struggle to find simple yet effective methods of protecting employee access to corporate accounts. To access business accounts, 49 percent of IT security respondents and 51 percent of individuals share passwords. Fifty-nine percent of IT security respondents say their organization manages passwords using human memory, while 42 percent use sticky notes. Only 31% of IT security respondents say their company uses a password manager, an effective tool for securely creating, managing, and storing passwords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Independent)<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to one survey, password resets account for between 20% and 50% of all helpdesk calls. Then there’s usually a delay before you can log back into your account and return to work. According to other studies, employees spend an average of 11 hours per year remembering or resetting passwords. For large organizations (15,000 or more employees), this can result in a $5.2 million annual productivity loss. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (First Contact)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Password reuse statistics by First Contact reveal that more than half of internet users don\u2019t bother creating different passcodes for their personal and business accounts. Understandably, this makes it easier to remember them, but it\u2019s making users more vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a hacker cracks your code for a single website, they might get access to all your accounts. Someone who knows your Facebook password can wreak havoc on your personal life. And if the same word or string of numbers unlocks your bank account, you\u2019re putting yourself in financial peril.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Americatech)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Personal password reuse is the most common among Generation Z. Over three-quarters of those aged 16 to 24 admit to using the same password across multiple websites. The Harris Poll revealed account password statistics by surveying 3,000 adults in the United States. It has been found that Millennials are in this bad habit, too. 67% of them rely on a single password for several accounts. Baby Boomers are the most conscientious about their online security. Some 60% of people from this age group habitually recycle passwords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Forbes)<\/p>\n\n\n\n When your password is compromised, you may feel violated. Hackers gain access to personal and private information, allowing them to impersonate you or steal your money. Cleaning up the mess necessitates more than just changing passwords. While social media accounts are the most popular target for hackers, banks and shopping accounts account for 39% of compromised accounts over the last five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (First Contact)<\/p>\n\n\n\n First Contact\u2019s password statistics for 2021 revealed that most internet users who fall prey to phishing attacks keep their passwords unchanged. This puts them at a huge risk of becoming victims of other cyberattacks, especially if they don\u2019t have different passwords for other accounts. The best-case scenario for victims is that they will lose some money. The worst case would be a stolen identity. The consequences of corporate phishing attacks are even more dire. Just one naive employee can open the door to the company network, exposing it to a data breach that would cause thousands of password breaches and other data leaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Media and advertising employees manage more passwords than those in any other industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Security Brief)<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you work in media or advertising, you can\u2019t live without a password manager. According to the latest password stats, a computer processor remembers passwords for 100 media managers’ and advertisers’ accounts. They manage multiple clients, so they need to memorize more than just their social media passwords. They also use passwords for sites and apps for team communication, project management, and productivity tracking. Government employees also have much to memorize – about 54 different passwords for their work operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Ponemon Institute)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Considering the number of forgotten and stolen passwords, this doesn\u2019t come as a surprise when we look at password hacking statistics<\/a>. People have a hard time coming up with passwords that work. And when they create strong passcodes, they tend to forget them easily. If we came up with another way of proving our identity when entering websites and software products, six out of 10 users would gladly embrace the change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (First Contact)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some users of mobile phones<\/a> and tablets are so sick and tired of entering passwords into devices and programs that they avoid it whenever possible. Nearly a third of people who own these gadgets set them up to be accessible without passwords. They might view it as a convenience. However, cybercriminals see it as an opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more complicated the password, the better your data will be protected from cyber dangers and hackers. So, how can you ensure that your passwords do not jeopardize your security? Here are some suggestions for creating a secure password that can help protect your data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Forbes)<\/p>\n\n\n\n People still share their passwords, no matter how many times experts tell us not to. There are some valid reasons for this, such as sharing a subscription or requiring family members to access accounts in an emergency. Because passwords are easily forgotten, with 21% saying they have forgotten passwords that are too complex, an increasing number of people are using tools such as Face ID or other biometrics to log in to accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 17% of respondents use Face ID to gain access to high-risk accounts. Face ID does not eliminate the need for complex passwords because accounts still require them. It merely reduces the need to remember them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Security.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 79 percent of users who generated their own passwords by creating new combinations of words and numbers were slightly more secure. While the methods differed (19% used full sentences, 17% chose randomly from the dictionary, and 13% claimed to roll word dice), they all had the same flaw: real words are recognizable strings that can be cracked more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Security.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than half of people admitted to using familiar names in their passwords, such as their own name or the names of their children or pets. 15% used their own first name as a password! Using meaningful names and numbers facilitates the work of hackers who may already have personal data, whereas sequential keystrokes and “tricky” characters provide little protection from code-breaking programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Zippia)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though passwords are important, internet users are annoyed that they keep forgetting them. This is especially true for those who meet the complex password requirements. Other frustrating aspects of safeguarding accounts are answering security questions (35%), entering usernames and passwords (29%), entering a PIN on the phone (19%), and entering a one-time passcode (16%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Zippia)<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, the global cost of cybersecurity is expected to be around $6 trillion. That figure is expected to rise by at least 15% per year over the next few years, reaching $10.5 trillion by 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Zippia)<\/p>\n\n\n\n A surprisingly large percentage of Americans do not protect their online accounts after a breach. According to Zippia, weak passwords are used by 83% of people. This includes the 59% of Americans who use their birth date or name as a password.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might be surprised at how simple it is to crack a weak password. Surprisingly, 17% of the 27% of Americans who have attempted to guess someone’s password have done so correctly. That means that if your password is weak, people have a 63% chance of guessing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Google,CBC,NordPass)<\/p>\n\n\n\nKey Password Statistics to Keep in Mind<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Interesting Facts and Stats About Passwords<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. The world\u2019s first digital password for a computer system was created at MIT in 1961.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2. 2.2 billion unique emails and passwords were exposed in the \u201cCollection 1-5\u201d data breach in January 2019, and it even increased by a million in 2022 when it tallied 3.2 billion breaches.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3. Cyberattacks exposed 155.8 million digital records in the United States.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4. 59% of people relied on their memory to manage passwords in 2020.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
5. Between 20 and 50 percent of all help desk calls are for password resets.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
6. 51% of people use the same password for work and personal accounts.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
7. 78% of Gen-Z users use the same password for several online accounts.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
8. In the last five years, 39% of people had their passwords compromised.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
9. 57% of people who have already been scammed in phishing attacks still haven\u2019t changed their passwords.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
10. In a 2020 survey, 100 passwords per person on average.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
11. In a 2020 report, 56% of internet users would prefer a passwordless method of protecting their identity.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
12. 30% of mobile-device users never lock their gadgets because re-entering passwords annoys them.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Password Security Statistics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
13. 16% share their passwords with other people in 2023.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
14. 79% of users created their own passwords by combining different words and numbers.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
15. 15% have included a name or date of birth in their passwords for online accounts.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
16. The average cost of a digital data breach in the United States is $200,000.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
17. Over the next five years, cybersecurity costs will rise by 15% annually.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
18. 83% of people use weak passwords.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
19. A quarter of Americans admit to having used one of the easy-to-crack passwords like \u201c123456\u201d and \u201cqwerty.\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n