User Behaviours Associated With Password Security and Management

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Author(s)
Bryant, Kay
Campbell, John
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2006
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Control mechanisms established on the boundary of an information system are an important preliminary step to minimising losses from security breaches. The primary function of such controls is to restrict the use of information systems and resources to authorized users. Password-based systems remain the predominant method of user authentication despite the many sophisticated and viable security alternatives that have emerged from research and development. However, the literature shows that passwords are often compromised through the poor security and management practices of users. This paper examines user password composition ...
View more >Control mechanisms established on the boundary of an information system are an important preliminary step to minimising losses from security breaches. The primary function of such controls is to restrict the use of information systems and resources to authorized users. Password-based systems remain the predominant method of user authentication despite the many sophisticated and viable security alternatives that have emerged from research and development. However, the literature shows that passwords are often compromised through the poor security and management practices of users. This paper examines user password composition and security practices for email accounts. The results of a survey that examines user practice in creating and using passwords are reported. The results show that many users know about the risks of hackers, viruses and so on and take preliminary steps to combat them such as having passwords longer than eight characters. However, this appears to be as far as many users are willing to accede to the probability that their information and computing resources can be compromised. This paper makes some recommendations for the education of users in creating and maintaining their passwords. The responsibility for these educational programs can be shared between governments, organisations, educational institutions at all levels, and software vendors.
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View more >Control mechanisms established on the boundary of an information system are an important preliminary step to minimising losses from security breaches. The primary function of such controls is to restrict the use of information systems and resources to authorized users. Password-based systems remain the predominant method of user authentication despite the many sophisticated and viable security alternatives that have emerged from research and development. However, the literature shows that passwords are often compromised through the poor security and management practices of users. This paper examines user password composition and security practices for email accounts. The results of a survey that examines user practice in creating and using passwords are reported. The results show that many users know about the risks of hackers, viruses and so on and take preliminary steps to combat them such as having passwords longer than eight characters. However, this appears to be as far as many users are willing to accede to the probability that their information and computing resources can be compromised. This paper makes some recommendations for the education of users in creating and maintaining their passwords. The responsibility for these educational programs can be shared between governments, organisations, educational institutions at all levels, and software vendors.
View less >
Journal Title
Australasian Journal of Information Systems
Volume
14
Issue
1
Publisher URI
Copyright Statement
© 2006 Bryant, Kay et al. This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CCAL. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/au/)
Subject
Information systems