The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the workplaces of millions worldwide. Physical offices shuttered. Many people transitioned to working from home. With nowhere to go, they spent more time online.
Individuals and businesses are more at risk than ever. Hackers are taking advantage and exploiting human vulnerabilities more than ever. The types of attacks have shifted given the large number of people working remotely and spending more time online.
According to the 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting individuals and their devices.
Our Psychology of Passwords report explores the password security behaviors of 3,750 professionals across seven countries. We asked respondents about their feelings and behaviors regarding online security.
Lots of awareness, not enough action.
79% Agree that compromised passwords are concerning...
51% ...Rely on their memory to keep track of passwords.
92% Know that using the same password or a variation is a risk...
65% ...Always or mostly still use the same password or variation.
Only 8% said that a strong password should not have ties to personal information.
Blind spots and bright spots.
Cognitive dissonance prevails. People pick and choose what information they think is worth protecting. As a result, they knowingly engage in risky password behaviors, even when spending an unprecedented amount of time online for work and entertainment during a pandemic.
83% would not know whether their information was on the dark web.
As we grow our digital presence, we need more robust protection for our personal information.
Our digital lives expanded greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The disconnection in our daily lives motivated us to connect more online than ever. The result: more accounts created, and more personal information shared online.
IT admins must pay attention. The presence of risk does not inherently motivate people to adopt better security. Almost half of employees engage in risky password behavior while working remotely.
Combatting password (mis)behaviors.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented change in the way we work and interact. We spend more time online. We share more digitally. If we know why people are behaving the way they do, how can we fix this behavior?
Things you can do right now to safeguard your passwords
1. Use a password manager to manage and secure your passwords. Let a password manager do the work of creating, remembering and filling in your passwords.
2. Add a layer of security with multi-factor authentication (MFA) to ensure you’re the only one accessing your information.
3. Combat your apathy. Monitor your data and make sure you know when your information has been compromised with dark web monitoring.
Contact us for any assistance you need with these must do's today.