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IT Users' Security Challenges With Managing Over 20 Passwords

Heavy users of technology now employ nearly two dozen passwords to gain access to various IT systems and Web sites--but are compromising security by writing them down. The 2002 NTA Monitor Password Survey found that the typical intensive IT user now has 21 passwords, and has two strategies to cope, neither of which is advisable from a security standpoint: they either use common words as passwords or keep written records of them. The survey found that some of these heavy users maintain up to 70 passwords. Forty-nine percent write their passwords down, or store them in a file on their PC. . . .. Heavy users of technology now employ nearly two dozen passwords to gain access to various IT systems and Web sites--but are compromising security by writing them down. The 2002 NTA Monitor Password Survey found that the typical intensive IT user now has 21 passwords, and has two strategies to cope, neither of which is advisable from a security standpoint: they either use common words as passwords or keep written records of them. The survey found that some of these heavy users maintain up to 70 passwords. Forty-nine percent write their passwords down, or store them in a file on their PC. The research shows that 84 percent of computer users consider memorability as the most important attribute of a password, with 81 percent selecting a common word as a result. The link for this article located at ZDNET is no longer available. . Frequent tech users encounter substantial security hurdles while juggling a multitude of passwords for diverse digital platforms.. Password Management, IT User Challenges, Security Risks. . Anthony Pell

Dec 11, 2002 • Anthony Pell Network Security