Singaporeans take passwords security lightly

While most indicated in a government survey that they have adopted the two-factor authentication (2FA) process, Singaporeans appear casual with their passwords. According to tge survey, one in three respondents in 2017 continues to store their passwords in their computer, write them down, and use the same password for work and personal accounts.

Also, between 50% and 70% of respondents either do not change their password or only do so when prompted by their different online accounts including-cloud based services, and online shopping and social media accounts. Some 60% even adopt the same habit when it comes to their iBanking accounts, marginally higher than in 2016 when it was 58%.

The good news is that more people appear to be aware of 2FA and have also utilised the extra step to secure their accounts. The survey showed a 6% point drop in the number of respondents who are not sure of the authentication process, from 10% in 2016. And nearly eight in 10 respondents indicated that they had enabled 2FA for either some or all of their accounts, up from 66% in 2016.

More respondents are also exercising caution when it comes to online transactions and app downloads. Only two in 10 respondents proceeded with online transactions without first checking the authenticity of the websites, almost half of the number in 2016.

The survey seeks to measure the publics awareness and adoption of cyber hygiene practices to better help in developing initiatives to bridge knowledge gaps, said the. Data was collected from 2,035 respondents via an online survey.