Locked Out: UK workers are wasting over 200 million hours each year on password admin

To coincide with World Password Day, a new study has estimated that the UK’s collective workforce wastes 224 million hours entering, re-entering and changing their password each year, with the average employee spending seven hours per year completing the long-drawn-out process of typing a secret jumble of letters into their devices.

While individual employee productivity is sinking as a result of outdated identification processes, the problem runs much deeper for businesses.

According to research by Ping Identity - the intelligent identity solution for the enterprise – 80% of IT helpdesk issues are related to passwords, with many workers requiring specialist support to unlock devices or access files. 

Commenting on the problem, Rob Otto, EMEA Field CTO at Ping Identity, said: “Complicated password rules have good intentions, but they are terrible for user experience. At the end of the day, no matter how strong they are, passwords are the easiest way for an attacker to get into a network or compromise an account. And if they're able to access a device with sufficient privileges, they can access and expose sensitive data, which is catastrophic for businesses.

“So, on World Password Day, we ask businesses to say goodbye to an outdated process and free themselves from the ineffective lock and key that is the modern password. Instead, organisations need to simplify access, reducing the action to a single sign-on and utilising multi-factor authentication for an extra layer of security. 

“Fingerprints, face scans or security keys – all of these would offer strong protection and save individuals countless hours, ultimately improving user experience while ensuring regained productivity and tighter security for businesses.”