93% of respondents cite familiarity with password security best practices, but 50% still rely on memory or insecure means to manage passwords

Bitwarden, the leading open source password manager for both consumers and business, announced today the results of its second annual global password management survey, in advance of World Password Day on May 5th, 2022. While receptive to the importance of security, individuals continue to struggle with embracing habits that could better protect their data.

In the US, almost one-third (31%) of respondents experienced a data breach last year, as compared to about 1 in 4 (23%) globally. Most Americans (81%) log in to websites or apps multiple times a day, which may help explain why a majority (67%) believe it is more important a password be secure than be easy to remember (a sentiment also shared by 68% of global respondents). And, almost all (98%) of Americans state they are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ familiar with password security best practices.

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“Despite the documented effectiveness and low cost of password managers, workplaces surprisingly often leave employees to figure password management out themselves”

Are those best practices being put to use? Overall, it’s a mixed bag:

• More than 8 in 10 (85%) of Americans reuse passwords across multiple sites, a number comparable to the rest of the globe (84%)
• Almost half of U.S. respondents (49%) rely on their memory – a notoriously fickle tool – to manage passwords. On that note, almost 1 in 4 (24%) need to reset their passwords every day or multiple times a week
• 60% of Americans have an average password length of 9-15 characters (14 is considered a secure start point)
• Americans are still more likely (44%, up 4% from last year) to use a password manager than the rest of the globe (34%, up 3% from last year)
• Two-factor authentication (2FA) has gone global: 79% of US respondents use 2FA for workplace accounts and 77% use it for personal accounts. Globally, that number sits at 73% (work) and 78% (personal)

Despite well-documented geopolitical tumult and an increased attack surface from remote work practices, password managers in the workplace have yet to truly take off. Only 32% of Americans are required to use a password manager at work. Globally, that number (25%) is even lower. In both cases, a majority (68% in the U.S and 64% globally) of respondents believe workplaces should provide employees with a password manager to protect credentials.

“The importance of password management best practices is getting through to people,” said Bitwarden CEO Michael Crandell. “Individuals understand they should be secure and that recognition is an important first step. But they can better protect themselves by embracing tools such as password managers that are readily available, and free. Password managers mitigate the need for an over-reliance on memory and password reuse across multiple sites.”

“Despite the documented effectiveness and low cost of password managers, workplaces surprisingly often leave employees to figure password management out themselves,” added Crandell. “Employers should pay heed to the fact that employees want to be protected. In addition to the desire for password management software, 83% of global respondents believe employers should provide security tools and training specifically for a remote work environment. Cybersecurity risks are only increasing, so the time to make these changes is now.”

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