This annual global survey of over 2,300 employed adults in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Japan highlights generational trends in password habits.
View the presentation for a comprehensive exploration of the survey findings.
Gen Z is the first generation to be raised fully online, but their status as digital natives has not made them inherently security conscious. According to the survey, the extent of their online exposure has likely contributed to password fatigue. 35% of Gen Z respondents revealed they never or rarely update passwords after a data breach at a company with which they have an account. Only 10% reported that they always update compromised passwords. When prompted to update a login, 38% of Gen Z and 31% of Millennials only change a single character or simply recycle an existing password.
Password reuse is rampant, with 72% of Gen Z reusing passwords, contrasting with only 42% of Boomers – a significant generational disconnect. Yet despite their behavior, 79% of Gen Z respondents believe password reuse is risky. 59% of Gen Z also reuse existing passwords when updating an account with a company that has experienced a data breach, compared to just 23% of Boomers. Even more revealing, 55% of respondents have abandoned an account or created a new one simply to avoid going through the password reset process, while 30% of Gen Z often or always forget passwords to important accounts.
More than 80% of younger generations are at least somewhat likely to enable MFA even when it is not required, compared with only 51% of Boomers. This suggests that Gen Z and Millennials may compensate for poor password habits by relying on MFA as a security safety net. MFA is certainly a valuable layer of protection, but it isn’t a substitute for unique, strong passwords. If the password – the first factor – is compromised or weak, the account will remain vulnerable, particularly when MFA is enabled with SMS, which is susceptible to SIM swapping attacks.
Passwords can reveal the nature of interpersonal behaviors. 44% of Gen Z say they’ve changed a streaming service password to remove access from a family member or friend as an emotional response to something they said or did. Credential ownership and digital boundaries are increasingly shaped by personal decisions and relationships, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials, who are more likely to share account access to online platforms.
Password stress varies across age groups. 62% of Gen Z report some level of stress around managing passwords despite growing up online. When security habits must be maintained across dozens of accounts, even digital natives feel the strain.