Internet users across the globe are yet to figure out how to use passwords effectively to protect themselves online, a recent study by Kaspersky Lab has found.

People are putting their online safety at risk by making bad password decisions and simple password mistakes that could have far-reaching consequences, the Russian data security company said.

The study unearthed three common password mistakes –people use weak passwords that are easy to crack or the same password for multiple accounts, meaning that if one password is leaked several accounts can be hacked, and store their passwords insecurely.

Andrei Mochola, head of consumer business at Kaspersky, said: “Considering the amount of private and sensitive information that we store online today, people should be taking better care to protect themselves with effective password protection. This seems obvious, but many might not realise that they are falling into the trap of making simple password management mistakes.

“These mistakes, in turn, are effectively like leaving the front door open to emails, bank accounts, personal files and more.

“The best passwords cannot be found in the dictionary. They are long, with upper and lowercase letters, numbers and punctuation marks.

“However, with people having so many online accounts today, it’s not easy to remember a secure password for everything.

“Using a password management solution can help people remember and generate strong passwords to minimise the risk of account hacking online.” — VNS