66% of US employees write down passwords in unsafe places

US workers, managers, and IT staffs alike are increasingly confronted with difficulties arising from computer passwords, eMedia found. Over half of all respondents said the average employee in their firms are required to remember three to five passwords, with an additional 26% saying the number ranges from six to ten or more. 49% responded that employees are required to use passwords more than 25 times per week, with 8% stating the number of password uses exceed 100 per week. 66% stated that employees write down or store passwords in unsafe places, creating a security problem for their companies. 48% of responding IT professionals are actively seeking a reliable password management solution. While 79% of those taking the survey report that security is their number one password management concern, 39% also reported Lost Employee Productivity or Frustration as an issue. In addition, 31% said that helpdesk hours are either lost or spent in frustration by support personnel.