Why Do People Adopt, or Reject, Smartphone Password Managers?

Abstract

Abstract-People use weak passwords for a variety of reasons, the most prescient of these being memory load and inconvenience. The motivation to choose weak passwords is even more compelling on Smartphones because entering complex passwords is particularly time consuming and arduous on small devices. Many of the memory-and inconvenience-related issues can be ameliorated by using a password manager app. Such an app can generate, remember and automatically supply passwords to websites and other apps on the phone. Given this potential, it is unfortunate that these applications have not enjoyed widespread adoption. We carried out a study to find out why this was so, to investigate factors that impeded or encouraged password manager adoption. We found that a number of factors mediated during all three phases of adoption: searching, deciding and trialling. The study's findings will help us to market these tools more effectively in order to encourage future adoption of password managers.

Why Do Not We Use Password Managers? A Study on the Intention to Use Password Managers

“…It is suggested that the lack of trust in the online password manager supersedes the usability features. A thematic analysis of users' responses to password managers has also highlighted trustworthiness as a concern (Alkaldi & Renaud, 2016). This research indicates that trust in password managers plays a role in users' adoption of password managers.…”

“…Security experts consistently recommend the use of password managers (Huth, Orlando, & Pesante, 2012). However, the use of password managers is sparse (Alkaldi & Renaud, 2016;Pew Research Center, 2017;Stobert & Biddle, 2014). It presents an interesting dilemma where the benefits of a tool like a password manager exist; however, it is not widely adopted.…”

Password Logbooks and What Their Amazon Reviews Reveal About Their UsersÕ Motivations, Beliefs, and Behaviors

“…Ha and Wagner [10], have used product reviews to learn more about user behaviors, perceptions, and attitudes. Alkadi and Renaud [11] analyzed user reviews of password managers on the Google Play Store and the iTunes App Store, and they conducted a survey to understand user attitudes. In this paper we also analyze user reviews, but we do so on a larger scale with a significantly different subpopulation of users who circumvent often recommended security practices by using password logbooks.…”

Encouraging Password Manager Adoption by Meeting Adopter Self-Determination Needs

“…Despite the obvious benefits, these tools have not been widely adopted [8]. Low adoption also manifests for other usable security tools, such as fingerprintenabled unlocking on Smartphones [9].…”