How and why people use password managers

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Password managers supply a much effectual mode to enactment unafraid online but are inactive underutilized, says Security.org.

Juggling a unsocial and beardown password for each online relationship you usage is simply a Sisyphean task, to enactment it successful mythological terms. That's wherefore truthful galore radical inactive crook to anemic passwords that they usage and reuse crossed aggregate accounts. Though biometric authentication is gaining traction, there's inactive nary cosmopolitan alternate to passwords. But determination is simply a mode to amended negociate your passwords. A study released Monday by information proposal tract Security.org looks astatine wherefore radical trust connected password managers.

SEE: Password Management Policy (TechRepublic)

In a survey of 1,077 American adults conducted successful November, Security.org asked radical astir their acquisition with cybercrime, however they way their passwords and their views of password managers. Participation successful the survey was not based connected immoderate level of cognition oregon expertise with password managers, truthful astir of the respondents were mundane consumers.

Among the respondents, lone 20%, oregon 241 people, said they usage password managers. The remainder (863 people) usage different methods. Among those who don't usage password managers, 41% said they trust connected their ain memory, 30% constitute passwords connected paper, 24% prevention passwords successful their browser, 23% prevention them successful a integer enactment file, and 20% simply reuse the aforesaid passwords.

Almost one-third of those surveyed had their individuality oregon online credentials stolen implicit the past year. But these results varied based connected however radical managed their passwords.

Among those who utilized password managers, lone 16% were deed by individuality theft. For those who saved their passwords successful a integer enactment oregon reused the aforesaid passwords, 35% suffered individuality theft. Among radical who tried to memorize their passwords, prevention them successful their browser, oregon constitute them connected paper, the percent of those victimized by individuality theft ranged from 28% to 31%.

The respondents who bash usage password managers cited a fewer reasons for doing so.

Most (71%) said they usage them due to the fact that they can't retrieve each their passwords. More than fractional said they utilized password managers to assistance them log into their accounts crossed antithetic devices. And 45% said they usage them to make and prevention analyzable passwords. Other reasons cited included the quality to negociate apps with aggregate logins, the benefits of encrypted passwords and the easiness of utilizing 1 maestro password.

Those who don't usage password managers besides had their ain reasons for avoiding them.

Most (71%) said they don't deliberation password managers are secure. Some 51% said they're not definite they request one, 45% said they're not definite however password managers work, 38% said they deliberation they outgo excessively overmuch and 34% said that they're hard to acceptable up. Despite these concerns, 69% said they'd see utilizing a password manager successful the future.

Those who person adopted password managers were asked which merchandise they use. The results varied crossed the board, but LastPass was the apical choice, citied by 21% of those polled. Keeper came successful 2nd place, followed by McAfee True Key, Bitwarden, Google Chrome password manager, Apple Keychain password manager, 1Password and Dashlane.

Finally, 1 of the keys to securing a password manager is to devise a beardown maestro password. Asked however they created their maestro password, 81% said that they utilized a unsocial login, portion 19% admitted that they turned to a antecedently utilized login.

Recommendations for password security

Until we person a genuinely cosmopolitan alternate to passwords, we're stuck with them for now. And though password managers whitethorn not beryllium perfect, they bash connection a applicable mode of creating and utilizing beardown and unsocial passwords for each of your accounts. Still, determination are a fewer recommendations to support successful caput erstwhile utilizing a password manager.

Create a beardown maestro password. The maestro password is the cardinal to unlocking your password vault. As such, it needs to beryllium particularly beardown and complex. That means it should beryllium a definite length, astatine slightest 12 characters. And it should incorporate letters, numbers and symbols.
Rely connected biometric information arsenic well. If you usage a password manager connected a mobile instrumentality oregon connected a machine equipped with a fingerprint scholar oregon facial recognition, you tin support your password manager beyond conscionable the maestro password. Most password managers fto you unafraid your password vault via your device's ain biometric means of identification. By enabling this option, you not lone amended safeguard your passwords but you person an easier mode of accessing them.
Enable two-factor authentication. Many radical who usage password managers interest that their passwords volition beryllium exposed if idiosyncratic hacks into their account. Beyond devising a beardown maestro password, you should further unafraid your password manager relationship done two-factor authentication. This way, if a hacker ever tries to log into your account, they can't entree your information without that secondary signifier of authentication.

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