Password Reuse Remains a Barrier to Safer Internet Use

The internet by default is not always safe, which is why Safer Internet Day on Feb. 5 exists—it’s a day to educate and remind users about the steps that should be taken to reduce cyber-security risks. But what are the unsafe things that users are doing online? Google conducted a study along with a Harris Poll of 3,000 Americans over the age of 16 to try to gauge the current state of safe, or in many cases unsafe, internet usage. Among the key findings in the study is that there is a clear gap between user perception and reality for cyber-security. Sixty-nine percent of respondents rated themselves highly for how they protect their accounts, even though the responses to other questions in the poll would seem to indicate otherwise. "I found it sad, though not terribly surprising, that two in three people [65 percent] reuse the same password for multiple accounts," Emily Schechter, product manager of Chrome security at Google, told eWEEK. "Using unique passwords is important for good password management, and tools like password managers can help you easily generate and store strong unique passwords."