The End of the Password: 50% Of Young Consumers Share Their Log-in Details
June 2 2020
We’ve released new research today, The End of the Password, which looks at how consumers are struggling to follow online security guidelines.
Everyone knows that passwords are not secure. And yet efforts to make them more secure are only making them more complicated. “People misuse things that aren’t usable,” says iProov CEO, Andrew Bud. “It’s a gift to hackers and it disrupts commerce. We need to make it easier for people to access services and keep their data secure.”
The key findings of the research include:
Consumers are using other people’s passwords
78% of 18-24-year-olds in the UK and 75% in the US have used someone else’s password to gain access to a service or device. 15% and 10%, respectively, have done so without permission. Overall, 49% of Brits and 50% of Americans have used others’ passwords.
People are sharing their own passwords
It seems that we’re less willing to share our own passwords than we are to borrow other people’s, but the numbers remain high; 50% of UK 18-24s and 49% of their US equivalents have given their passwords to other people, compared with 30% and 34% of consumers overall. We’re more willing to share the PIN to our phones; 41% of Brits and 44% of Americans admit to sharing phone passwords with partners or family members.
People are reusing the same passwords (and writing them down)
59% of respondents in both countries admit to reusing the same passwords across sites, while 10% of Brits and 13% of Americans use the same password for everything. Only 9% of people in both countries use a strong suggested password if it is offered. 33% in the UK remember passwords by writing them down – this rises to 46% in the US.
People are abandoning purchases because of forgotten passwords
The average Brit abandons an online purchase 15 times a year because of password frustration, while Americans are doing likewise 16 times a year. 34% of 18-24s in the UK are having to request forgotten passwords at least once a week, along with 25% of young Americans.
Read The End of the Password UK edition and The End of the Password US edition to see all of the stats and survey results.
Andrew Bud added: “Our research shows that passwords have simply outlived their utility. Enforcing ever more complex passwords tortures people into workarounds. People misuse things that aren’t usable. It’s a gift to hackers and it disrupts commerce. We need to make it easier for people to access services and keep their data secure.
“People are recycling and sharing passwords but this leaves them exposed and vulnerable.The time has come to adopt alternatives. Good biometric authentication combines effortless usability with the security to safeguard society’s most sensitive personal data.”
“iProov technology is a safe and secure way to identify yourself without using a password. Copies of your face, like photos, videos or deepfakes, won’t work. This is what iProov Genuine Presence Assurance provides that other biometric technology does not – not only does it check that you’re the right person, but it also checks that you’re a real human being and authenticating yourself right now.”
How does Genuine Presence Assurance replace passwords?
Everyone knows that passwords are no longer fit for purpose in an online world. They are not secure. Yet, efforts to make them more secure have only made them more complicated. Genuine Presence Assurance from iProov is completely unique. It uses face biometrics to enable businesses and governments to verify online that a customer or citizen is the right person, a real person, and authenticating right now, protecting against the most sophisticated criminal attacks. Read more about passwordless authentication with iProov face verification.
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