Security News > 2021 > May > Knowledge of security risks hasn't fixed the password problem
On world password day, data from Onfido serves as a reminder that most people don't follow password recommendations, probably never will, and that means it's time to find a new security standard.
World password day 2021 is upon us, serving as yet another reminder to use unique passwords, update those that may be compromised and practice good password hygiene.
Onfido, an identity verification and authentication company, polled several thousand people from the U.S., U.K., France and Germany on a variety of password-related issues and drew what is probably an unsurprising conclusion: "Many consumers find password creation cumbersome, and widespread poor password hygiene could put consumers and the brands they engage with at risk."
Password manager NordPass found that the average internet user has around 100 passwords to remember, which was a 25% increase from before the COVID-19 pandemic.
To make clear how much internet users hate coming up with secure passwords, Onfido said that people "Would rather do mundane, uncomfortable and, in some cases, painful activities than create a unique password for every online account they have." This includes filing their taxes, preferred by 17% of respondents, get a root canal or filling, which was preferable to 9%, or go stand in line at the DMV/RMV to update vehicle registration or a driver's license, which was a preferable activity for 15%. With that much hate for passwords, it's easy to guess how other password hygiene habits measure up.
Fifty-eight percent of respondents predict the extinction of the password is nigh, believing that it will be gone within the next decade.