Online security risk from uniform passwords

MORE than half the adult population of the UK are risking their online security by using the same password for most, if not all, websites they visit.

Research by regulator Ofcom found 55 per cent of adult internet users use the same password, while 26 per cent say they tend to use easy to remember passwords such as birthdays or names, potentially opening themselves to account hacking.

A quarter (26 per cent) said they have problems remembering passwords.

However, the Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes Report also found that adult internet users are increasingly adopting security methods online, with 
62 per cent protecting their wi-fi internet connection, up from 52 per cent in 2011, and 61 per cent considering measures such as checking for padlock symbols or secure system messages before entering personal details, up from 56 per cent in 2011.

Among smartphone owners, 75 per cent use a screen lock and 50 per cent have pin protection for their sim card.

The average adult internet user estimates they now spend almost 17 hours online every week, up from 15.1 in 2011.

Meanwhile, reported incidents of spam, viruses and phishing e-mails by internet users have all remained stable compared with 2011.

The average user claims to visit 19 different websites in a typical week, with men visiting 24 sites, while women visit 14.

Despite the increasing length of time spent online, more than a fifth say they visit fewer than five websites in a typical week.

Ofcom’s director of research, James Thickett, said: “Some people are still taking security risks online, they clearly feel these are outweighed by the benefits that the internet brings.

“We are seeing more and more adults turning to the internet for information and as a way of keeping in touch.”

The study also found that older internet users are increasingly turning to social networking to keep in touch with friends and family.