To the surprise of no one in IT security, consumers are tired of passwords and therefore are engaging in risky behavior due to this weariness, according to a new survey.

More than a third of Americans – 35% — write passwords down to help remember them. Additionally, 74% of respondents use means other than memorization to manage online passwords. SecureAuth Corporation announced the survey results in conjunction with Wakefield.

Beyond memorization issues, consumers have a number of issues with passwords, including:

• Keeping up with different password requirements across accounts – 29%
• Meeting complex password requirements – 18%
• Needing to change it regularly – 15%
• Getting locked out for too many incorrect attempts – 12%

Cybersecurity is getting much more attention from everyone. In February, the White House published the Cybersecurity National Action Plan to address what the President sees as weakness in cybersecurity preparedness across the country – problems within the federal government, private sector business, even within citizens’ private lives.

CNAP can only go so far in protecting Americans. Outside of government recommendations, individuals have to take care to protect their identities. This includes:

• Steering clear of password reuse across multiple sites
• Setting up a password manager to help manage complex passwords
• Where possible, enabling two-factor authentication on any website or web based application

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