Young people in the UK are putting themselves at risk by reusing passwords for multiple online services, a new survey has found. Brits of all ages are also sending sensitive information such as bank details and passport scans via email and messaging systems.
The Home Office's Cyber Aware campaign found that more than half (52%) of people aged between 18 and 25 used the same password for multiple purposes. On average, this multipurpose password was linked to six other accounts, but some people reported having up to 21 other accounts that they logged into regularly. These included social media and e-commerce accounts.
43% of young people reuse their email password
43% of this age group used the password from their main email for some of their other accounts. By contrast, just over a quarter (26%) of 35 to 44-year-olds and 13% of 55 to 75-year-olds recycled their email passwords for other accounts.
A smaller but still significant 6% of 18 to 25-year-olds used the same password for all their accounts, including their email account. Only 1% of those in the 35-44 and 55-75 age categories did the same.
It’s unlikely that such large proportions of the digital generation could be unaware of the risks, so are they just less risk-averse than their older peers?
Experian Head of Consumer Affairs James Jones said that his company’s own research had identified a sharp increase in fraud cases affecting younger people.
He told the Telegraph: “Experian research shows that attitudes to online safety vary significantly by age. Younger people tend to be more driven by convenience and rarely have more than five unique passwords.
"They are also far more likely to log in to multiple accounts using a single social media account. But what they may not realise is that this thirst for convenience leaves them more vulnerable to identity theft. We’ve certainly seen a sharp increase in the number of fraud cases affecting this age group."
Personal details frequently sent by email
79% of respondents of all ages reported that they had sent information such as bank details, passports and driving licences via email. One of the issues is that these emails are not always deleted and simply sit as a potential treasure trove of personal data. Using the same password for multiple accounts also meant that only one account had to be compromised to give potential access to others.
Detective Inspector Mick Dodge, National Cyber PROTECT Coordinator with the City of London Police, said: "It may come as a surprise that younger people – typically assumed to be more tech savvy than their older counterparts – are putting themselves at risk by reusing their email password for other accounts.
"Those aged 18-25 tend to set up more online accounts than their parents and grandparents and can struggle to remember passwords for them all. It’s a common problem but reusing an email password for other accounts is not the solution – by doing this they are leaving their emails wide open to criminals. Picking one strong and separate password for your email account can help people stay safe online and protect your personal and financial information from criminals."
