People know password reuse is risky but keep doing it anyway

35% of Gen Z said they never or rarely update passwords after a data breach affecting one of their accounts, according to Bitwarden. Only 10% reported always updating compromised passwords.

38% of Gen Z and 31% of Millennials only change a single character or simply recycle an existing password. 79% of Gen Z admit password reuse is risky, yet 59% recycle an existing password when updating accounts with companies that disclose data breaches.

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.

Younger generations are more likely to enable MFA

80% of younger generations are at least somewhat likely to enable MFA even when not required, compared to only 51% of Boomers. This might mean Gen Z and Millennials use MFA as a security layer to compensate for weaker password habits.

Passwords can reveal the nature of interpersonal behaviors. Among Gen Z, 44% report having changed a streaming service password to revoke access from a friend or family member as an emotional response to a conflict, highlighting how credential ownership is often influenced by personal relationships. This trend is particularly evident among Gen Z and Millennials, who are more likely to share account access across various digital platforms.

Despite growing up online, 62% of Gen Z report experiencing stress related to password management.

Insecure password sharing habits

At 46%, Gen Z is the most likely group to use password management software. However, insecure sharing habits still persist. 25% of Gen Z share passwords through text, 19% share via screenshots, and 19% share them verbally. Only 13% use a password manager to share credentials securely, showing a gap between how passwords are stored and shared.

In contrast, 67% of Boomers do not share passwords, and only 7% share them through text. While younger generations are adopting modern password tools and MFA, risky sharing habits still undermine good practices.

Only 33% of Gen X use a password manager, which is lower than 39% of Millennials and 46% of Gen Z. 55% of Millennials still rely on memory to manage their passwords and 59% of Boomers use pen and paper; meanwhile, Gen Z is most likely to use a password manager.

21% of Gen X say they don’t know how to set up or don’t trust a password manager, even though many are in leadership roles and at the peak of their careers. While most are aware of security risks, this gap in security habits points to an opportunity for education, especially for a generation that shapes security policies at work and at home.