Fourth annual report summarizes findings from a survey of nearly 1,000 Americans; Results, as compared to 2021 findings, signal individual users and employers continue to utilize lax password policies and procedures; Concludes many Americans and businesses are still at high risk for falling victim to cybercrime.
American firm, PC Matic, announced the release of its fourth annual report analyzing users and their password habits and hygiene.
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The nineteen-page report presents the results of a nationally distributed survey by which 1,000 Americans were asked about their password behaviors and tendencies. Fielded in August 2022, the findings revealed that nearly 35% of Americans aren’t sure when they last changed their passwords, or never have at all. The survey also revealed the companies continue to be lax with corporate password policies since the company’s 2021 survey, finding that nearly a fifth of employers nationwide still never require their employees to change their passwords.
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More key findings from the report are as follows:
- Nearly 55% of those surveyed responded that they have never changed their home Wi-Fi password, or that it hasn’t been changed since setup. This is down from 60% in 2021’s Password Habits and Hygiene Survey.
- 40% of respondents indicated that they are using the password lockout feature on both their work and home computers. This number remains virtually unchanged since the 2021 Password Habits and Hygiene Survey.
- 46% of employers don’t require their employees to utilize a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 2021 survey results showed that 44% of employers didn’t require this layer of security for employees.
- More than 50% of respondents admit to checking personal e-mail accounts at work. This number remains virtually unchanged from 2021’s survey results, and still presents an imminent threat to corporate networks.
“As more employees than ever participate in hybrid work environments, password hygiene has never been more important,” said Rob Cheng, CEO and Founder of PC Matic. “Our 2022 Password Habits and Hygiene Report sought to understand if password practices across the nation had improved since our 2021 findings, and provides a great deal of insight into how IT professionals can enhance these practices to better protect corporate networks.”
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