More than a quarter (26 per cent) of British people feel more vulnerable to online hackers than ever as a result of COVID-19, according to new research.

A survey of 1,000 UK consumers by iProov has found that despite greater awareness of the the risk of cyber breach as criminals seek to exploit the pandemic, many are using cyber security habits that could compromise the safety of their data and online accounts.

While the large majority (89 per cent) admit to caring about their own data privacy, and 88 per cent believe online security threats are growing, this is not translating into good practice when it comes to passwords and online security.

The facial verification firm found that 48 per cent of Brits admit they regularly change their online password and just 28 per cent do this once a year or more.

A third of respondents admitted to only changing passwords when forced to by online brands and services, with eight per cent opting to use the strong password generator provided. One in 10 said they use the same password for all accounts.

The survey also revealed that 71 per cent believe the need to authenticate online identity is more important now than ever before.

Almost half (49 per cent) of respondents admitted to accessing someone else’s online account using their password, whilst 41 per cent said they share their phone passwords with family members.

A total of 17 per cent of Brits have even used a photo or video of someone else in an attempt to access their accounts using facial recognition.

Andrew Bud, chief executive at iProov, said: “Our research shows that passwords have simply outlived their utility - enforcing ever more complex passwords tortures people into workarounds.

"People misuse things that aren't usable - it's a gift to hackers and it disrupts commerce"

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