Americans continue to see their online accounts hacked despite the growing availability of security services and the reason is because they use the same passwords over and over and often write them down on sticky notes or in unsecure online folders.
A new survey found that just 16 percent store their passwords in secure apps, said Zogby Analytics, which conducted the poll for The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, part of Munich Re.
As for how Americans store the passcodes they need to access a growing number of banking, retail, social media and business applications, it’s much more likely they will use a sticky note than a secured password management app, said the survey.
“Many people stored passwords as notes on their smartphones, in computer documents, notebooks and planners, on slips of paper, or saved in emails they send to themselves,” said the survey provided to Secrets.
“One respondent said she kept her passwords on recipe cards and a business owner said, ‘The universal passwords that are used by everyone in my company are written down’ for anyone to view,” added the analysis.
Just as bad, most use the same passcodes over and over. Some 44 percent of consumers use only one to five passwords and 23 percent use six to 10 passwords, said the survey.
“The survey also shows one out of three consumers was hacked in the past,” said Timothy Zeilman, vice president for HSB, a leading provider of cyber insurance and services. “That rate should be falling faster and part of the problem is carelessness with passwords and personal security.”
