Sophos warns, every third internet user uses the same password for all accounts, making one stolen password a threat to their whole digital life. Experts say only 19% never reuse passwords, and just 8% use truly strong ones. The article explains why this carelessness is especially dangerous now, as hackers and scammers grow more active.
Sophos, a company engaged in internet security research, presents discouraging statistics: every third internet user uses the same password for all of their online accounts.Analysts are sounding the alarm: if someone learns the password to just one service, they will gain control over the entire virtual activity.
People are too careless: usually the same password is used both to access all accounts on a computer and to access all social networks, email inboxes, internet messengers, and recruiting sites.
Only 19% of users never use repeated passwords. Truly hard-to-crack passwords are used by only 8% of users, which is a very discouraging figure, experts say.
"We can state that the trends are positive, however most users still do not fully understand the problems that may arise as a result of password theft. The level of users' self-protection on the internet is unsatisfactory," commented the situation the company's chief analyst Graham Cluley.
Experts also note that in times of crisis hackers and online fraudsters become active with renewed force, and therefore internet users should beware of losing confidential data.