• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, November 24, 2016

According to an online survey among over 2,000 U.S. adults conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Dashlane, Emmanuel Schalit, CEO of Dashlane, says  “… this survey data… highlights an unfortunate trend… with breaches happening to everyone from companies and celebrities to consumers, people are continuing to engage in risky password behavior…”

Schalit continues, “… five to ten years ago, cybersecurity was about protecting devices with anti-virus software… today, data isn’t on our devices, but in the cloud… the best line of defense we have to protect this data (is) passwords… ”

• Most Americans admit needing help accessing online accounts, says the report. 81% have asked for assistance (hints, security questions, password resets, etc.) to access any of their accounts or apps… 62% needed a helping hand multiple times a year… 23% of people seek help at least once a month
• Contrary to what some might expect, says the report, millennials indicate needing help on at least a monthly basis… more so than their older counterparts (30%, vs. 24% of those 35-44, 22% of those 45-54, 18% of those 55-64, 15% of those 65+)
• 36% of Americans say they’ve abandoned an online transaction in the past when they couldn’t remember a password, a likely pain point for online retailers. This impact is stronger among women (40%, vs. 32% of men).
• 41% of people would rather give up their favorite food for a month than go through the password reset process for all their online accounts

Consumers may think that sharing a Netflix password is harmless because their streaming preferences aren’t exactly “top secret” information, says the report. But, if part of that password aligns with an email or another password, it becomes easier for hackers to gain access to very personal information.

45% of Americans have either trusted someone with, or been entrusted with, a password, says the report, with email (23%) and streaming services (21%) leading the list. The least shared passwords include those for retail accounts (14%), banking/investment/student loan accounts (9%), and insurance provider accounts (6%).

• Younger Americans are consistently more trusting/trusted than older Americans – 64% of millennials (aged 18-34) admit to sharing or receiving passwords (vs. 37% of those 35+)
• Interestingly, says the report, married Americans are less likely to say they’ve trusted someone with passwords or been entrusted with one themselves (41% vs. 49% unmarried Americans)

Some final observations from Dashlane:

• According to Dashlane, the average user has over 100 accounts, so it’s practically impossible to remember every password
• Having a unique password for every account ensures that even if one account is breached, other accounts will be secure. Some breaches aren’t discovered or disclosed for years, so you never know when your information might be vulnerable
• The strongest passwords are unique and random strings of letters and numbers, but Americans are continuing to make weak password choices with easily identifiable personal information

For additional information from Dashlane, please visit here.