Survey Says: People Have Way Too Many Passwords To Remember

Many of us would give up pizza for fewer logins.


Between email, social media accounts, banking, utilities, productivity tools and online shopping, most people have a lot of places they need to log in. Now we have a clue just how many, thanks to a new poll by Intel Security.

According to the online survey, which surveyed more than 2,000 English-speaking adults, the average person has 27 discrete online logins.

"The sheer number of accounts has grown dramatically over the past few years," said Bruce Snell, Cybersecurity and Privacy Director at Intel Security.

While a cluster of password managers like Dashlane, 1Password and Passpack have emerged to help address the issue, most people don't use one. Which perhaps explains why, according to the study, 37% percent of people forget a password at least once a week.

It's a common experience but one that remains extremely annoying; twenty percent of respondents said they would give up ESPN to never have to remember another password, and more than six percent said they would give up pizza. Pizza!

What the study does not say, however, is how many actual passwords each participant has for his or her 27 logins. One thing is for sure: It's a lower number.

"I wish they had 27 discrete passwords," said Snell. "It's a major security risk."

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