Weak and reused passwords continue to pose a threat to workplace security and the transition to working from home has made password management even more important for both employees and their organizations.
However, a new survey from Dashlane of 1,200 workers in the US has revealed that 70 percent of American workers believe it is their company’s job to make sure their work accounts aren’t hacked or breached.
When it came to password reuse, almost a third (30%) of respondents said they reuse business account passwords while 22 percent reported recycling personal passwords for their work credentials. Surprisingly, more than half (59%) of those surveyed said they are more concerned about safeguarding their personal accounts than their business ones.
While failing to properly secure your personal accounts can lead to identity theft, doing so with your business accounts can put your co-workers as well as your entire organization at risk.
Security in the workplace
Although some employees may be more concerned with their personal accounts, the vast majority recognize that they play an integral role in a successful security program. According to Dashlane’s Workplace Security Survey, 79 percent of respondents said they take some personal responsibility for their organization’s overall security.
In general, older employees are more like to understand their roles and responsibilities when it comes to improving business security with 84 percent of workers between age 55 and 64 realizing they plan an essential role in data security.
For many businesses, password management represents one of the weakest links in their security. To help safeguard company data and accounts, workers should employ security practices such as utilizing strong passwords, using two-factor authentication and being aware of phishing and other targeted threats.
Head of IT at Dashlane, Jay Leaf-Clark explained why using a password manager has become a must when working remotely, saying:
“This new data proves the need for businesses to proactively and consistently address security questions, concerns, and best practices with their employees. A password manager is essential to business security in our remote-distributed world. Dashlane is designed to maximize security for businesses, while minimizing effort for admins and employees alike.”