Reasons behind bad password management practices

Abstract

This thesis aimed to find out the reasons, behind bad password management practices by people.

The topic was chosen, because it is interesting and current, according to the news, password attacks have increased in recent years. The theoretical framework focused on user authentication, cyberattack, and password managers.

Quantitative and qualitative research was used as the research methods. The research data was collected through a survey. The survey was designed based on the theoretical framework and research questions.

It was found that people avoid changing passwords or reusing the same password on different accounts because this is easy and because of potentially forgetting the new passwords. Many have also never heard about password managers and assume they are unsafe or complicated to use. In fact, password managers are simple and the most secure way to store and manage passwords.