HSB Survey Shows Passcodes Kept on Sticky Notes, Recipe Cards and Slips of Paper

How many different passwords do you have for your smartphone, tablet or computer? Where do you keep the passcodes that you can’t remember?

Almost half of U.S. consumers use one to five passwords to access all of their online applications, a survey by The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company (HSB), part of Munich Re, has found, indicating many people use the same password for different accounts.

As for how Americans store the passcodes they need to access a growing number of banking, retail, social media and business applications, it’s much more likely they will use a sticky note than a secured password management app, the study concludes.

“The survey also shows one out of three consumers was hacked in the past,” said Timothy Zeilman, vice president for HSB, a leading provider of cyber insurance and services. “That rate should be falling faster and part of the problem is carelessness with passwords and personal security.”

Think of all the online accounts and applications that require a user name and password.

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