1 in 4 Americans Will Commit This Password Fail in 2020
A new survey by nCipher found that one in four Americans are unknowingly setting themselves up for a password hack in the New Year.
SUNRISE, Fla. — These days strong passwords are essential in the fight against financial fraud and identity theft. And that means practicing good password hygiene to lock down network-connected physical security products such as cameras and other gear is just as vital when logging into banking websites or similar.
Consider, for example, in a brute-force attack a hacker simply “guesses” passwords. Given that most people choose easy-to-remember passwords, many can be discovered using simple algorithms. Simple and commonly used passwords enable hackers to easily gain access and control of a computing device.
But is the message for strong passwords getting through to people? Installing security contractors would be wise to drill home to their customer bases the need for cyber diligence.
Now comes new survey data published by nCipher, a supplier of encryption products, that shows one in four Americans are unknowingly setting themselves up for a password hack in the New Year. It’s why the company is predicting 2020 “will be the year of encryption.”
In a press release, nCipher said it surveyed more than 1,000 American adults indicative of the U.S. population during the first week of November to determine the country’s thoughts on security. The results show that nearly 25% of Americans admit that they will include the current year in their new passwords — which is one of the most common hacker tricks.
The survey also found that almost 75% of respondents said that they plan to update their passwords and practice better personal security habits in the New Year. Nearly a quarter (24.3%) of respondents said they update their passwords once a month or more.
A majority of Americans (53.3%) said encryption and security features are influencing their purchase decision-making. The raw data results for the complete survey can be viewed here.
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About the Author
Rodney Bosch, Senior Editor
Although Bosch’s name is quite familiar to those in the security industry, his previous experience has been in daily newspaper journalism. Prior to joining SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION in 2006, he spent 15 years with the Los Angeles Times, where he performed a wide assortment of editorial responsibilities, including feature and metro department assignments as well as content producing for latimes.com. Bosch is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with a degree in Mass Communication & Journalism. In 2007, he successfully completed the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association’s National Training School coursework to become a Certified Level I Alarm Technician.
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