University Password Security Research Project Analysis

This research project, titled "Behavioural Security Research Project: Password Security Study," investigates the significance of password security and user understanding of its principles. The study reviews journal articles and papers to assess user perceptions of password security, employing quantitative data analysis to demonstrate the crucial role of passwords in safeguarding confidential information. The research explores password strength, proper authentication methods, and user adherence to password guidelines. The findings indicate that a minority of participants possess adequate knowledge of password security practices. The study also analyzes procedures for creating strong passwords and evaluates user compliance with password setup recommendations. The project includes an abstract, table of contents, introduction, literature review covering password protection, security, strength, and authentication. It also includes research hypotheses, design, results with descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses, discussion, and conclusion, providing a comprehensive overview of password security.

Running head: BEHAVIOURAL SECURITY RESEARCH PROJECT
Behavioural Security Research Project: Password Security Study
Name of the student:
Name of the university:

1BEHAVIOURAL SECURITY RESEARCH PROJECT
Abstract
The focus of this study is mainly on showcasing the significance of password security. In this
research, the focus is on determining the concept of password security and importance of it for
the users of various systems. The paper mainly reflects on reviewing a number of journal articles
as well as papers to determine the user’s perception of password security and how well they
understand the concept. The paper also undertakes quantitative data analysis in order to
showcase that password plays an important role in maintaining security for the confidential
information as well as information. From the overall analysis and findings gathered during this
study, it can be said that a minority of the participants have a knowledge of password security
and how they could secure their passwords. This study also helped to analyse the various
procedures that can be used for setting up strong passwords and how well the users make use of
the directions being provided to them for setting up passwords.

2BEHAVIOURAL SECURITY RESEARCH PROJECT
Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Background of the study........................................................................................................3
1.2 Problem statement.................................................................................................................3
2. Literature Review........................................................................................................................3
2.1 Introduction and Concept of password protection.................................................................3
2.2 Password security and confidentiality...................................................................................4
2.3 Password strength and monitoring.........................................................................................5
2.4 Proper authentication and password setup.............................................................................6
2.5 Summary................................................................................................................................6
3. Research Hypotheses...................................................................................................................7
4. Research Design..........................................................................................................................7
5. Results........................................................................................................................................10
6. Discussion..................................................................................................................................19
6.1 Correlation analysis.............................................................................................................19
6.2 Regression analysis..............................................................................................................23
7. Conclusion.................................................................................................................................26
References......................................................................................................................................27

3BEHAVIOURAL SECURITY RESEARCH PROJECT
1. Introduction
In this research, the focus is on determining concept of password security and importance
of it for the users of various systems. The paper mainly reflects on reviewing a number of journal
articles as well as papers for showcasing the significance of password security. The paper also
undertakes quantitative data analysis in order to showcase that password plays an important role
in maintaining security for the confidential information as well as information. Furthermore, the
paper also showcases the implications of the theories, practices as well as opportunities while
undertaking future studies.
1.2 Problem statement
According to Demay et al. (2019), passwords generally helps in ensuring the security as
well as confidentiality of the data that is generally stored on different workstations as well as
servers. Strong password helps in protecting from financial fraud as well as identity theft.
Moreover, simple as well as commonly utilized passwords generally helps in enabling the
intruders for gaining access as well as controlling the entire computing device that further causes
a number of issues as well as challenges (Johnson, 2018).
2. Literature Review
2.1 Introduction and Concept of password protection
According to Awad et al. (2016), password protection is one of the security procedures
that generally helps in protecting information that are generally accessible with the help of
computers that needs to be protected for certain types of users. It is found that unauthorized
access is considered as one of the major issues for the users who mainly utilizes computer or
other types of high-tech devices including tablets as well as smartphones (Shen et al., 2016). The

4BEHAVIOURAL SECURITY RESEARCH PROJECT
consequences for unauthorized access generally includes loss of information from emails,
presentation as well as music. Moreover, victims can lose their financial information which
further can cause a number of financial issues for the victims. It is found that one of the main
goals is to gain access as well as control issues with the help of proper security system.
2.2 Password security and confidentiality
It is opined by Mishra (2015) that password security helps in ensuring security as well as
confidentiality of the data that is generally stored on different workstations as well as servers.
Password is essentially considered to be important method that is generally utilized for
protecting the device from unauthorized access. Thus, it is analyzed that utilization of proper
passwords would be one of the proper methods for avoiding authorized access as well as security
related information (Lee, 2015). It is found that password protection helps in allowing only those
with an authorized password for gaining access to certain types of information. It is identified
that despite of the concerns that generally surround the security, text as well as passwords which
remain one of the most commonly used authentication methods.
On the other hand, it is found that complicated text password which can be hard as simple
passwords are quite easy to guess. It is stated by Maitra et al. (2016) that use of easy passwords
generally helps in creating a number of vulnerabilities as social engineering, database breach as
well as phishing attempt can get compromised different types of unrelated accounts for the same
type of the users. Moreover, it is identified that the users generally tend to utilize proper
distortionary words that further can be helpful in minimizing the effort that is generally spent by
the attacker in order to reduce it (Yerne & Qureshi, 2016). For successfully countering this, the
system must conform proper complex password-based policy which is generally needed by the
users for using non-dictionary-based passwords that generally have very much minimum length

5BEHAVIOURAL SECURITY RESEARCH PROJECT
that have certain combination of the uppercase letter that generally have special characters as
well as numbers.
2.3 Password strength and monitoring
It is opined by Xie et al. (2018) that continuous monitoring is quite significant as the
development is associated with the new trends which are generally helpful in minimizing the
effort that is generally required by the various attackers for guessing passwords. For achieving
the entire goal, it is found that proper study is generally conducted with around 800 students. It is
reflected that password generally serve as an entry point for the various end users. The password
composition of the entire university is not much strict (Ganesan, 2016). The survey also helps in
providing proper questionnaires is generally maintained for giving appropriate insight on the
password hobbits of the various users.
According to Dunphy et al. (2018), for better as well as worse passwords generally plays
a dominant role for the authentication of the various users. It is found that the predictability of
the users generally selects proper passwords that was generally documented. It is identified that
there are some of the serious misconceptions that are related with the password security as some
of the participants generally overestimated the benefits of using digits within the entire
passwords (Blythe, Coventry & Little, 2015). Many of the various participants generally
underestimated the various security-based properties for building proper password for different
types of common phases.
2.4 Proper authentication and password setup
It is stated by Lee (2015) that proper authentication-based ecosystem is considered to be
vulnerable for different types of attacks. For each type of security generally creates different

6BEHAVIOURAL SECURITY RESEARCH PROJECT
types of impact that further create some of the important significant threats. It is identified that
the threats like offline attack generally request large scale of guessing (Maitra et al., 2016). The
different types of practices generally dictate the entire system for storing passwords that is
generally hashed cryptographically securing the entire function. The resistance of the password
is generally considered as one of the offline that generally depends on various types of hash
function that is generally utilized for storing the passwords.
According to Mishra (2015), when the hackers generally attempted for accessing the
accounts for running different types of dictionaries that are generally against the passwords for
cracking them successfully. It is also necessary to utilize mix set of letters including lowercase as
well as uppercase letter for successfully creating the most secured password as much as possible
quite effectively. The utilization of string words generally helps in increasing the time that is
generally needed for guessing the password over the entire years (Awad et al., 2016). Password
managers generally helps in allowing the users for storing as well as organizing the passwords.
These types of applications generally come with various types of tools for generating more
securing the passwords quite effectively. Utilization of these types of tools generally needs an
individual that generally members one password.
2.5 Summary
Passwords are considered to be very much important as well as essential for security
however it is found that there are a number of methods that generally can be used for protecting
the devices. Security measures including the passwords are generally considered to be quite
critical for proper prevention of the authorized access of the various types of computer as well as
mobile devices. In order to keep the accounts as well as personal information safe, it is very

7BEHAVIOURAL SECURITY RESEARCH PROJECT
much vital as well as important to properly understand how to create proper as well as strong
password.
3. Research Hypotheses
The hypotheses that has been set for this particular research are presented as below:
Hypothesis 1:
H0: Exposure to password security information and exercises improve intention to
comply with password guidelines
H1: Exposure to password security information and exercises do not improve intention to
comply with password guidelines
Hypothesis 2:
H0: Exposure to password security information and exercises improve password strength
H1: Exposure to password security information and exercises does not improve password
strength
4. Research Design
In this research project, the approach that was being selected is quantitative analysis
which consisted of preparing questionnaire for survey. Online survey questionnaire was being
used as the medium for data collection and the analysis is being done with the help of statistical
tool that is SPPS. The quantitative approach has been selected as provided actual figures and data
which helps to determine the accurate results for the research. For this particular research, the
target population for this study was Internet users who hold at least one online email account.

8BEHAVIOURAL SECURITY RESEARCH PROJECT
The selection of an appropriate methodology and approach is one of the most essential
factor to ensure success of a research. Hence, it has been determined that quantitative analysis
will be most appropriate for the research to gain the required outcomes.
5. Results
The descriptive analysis shows summary statistics of collected responses for different
aspects related to behavioral security.
Figure 1: Proportion of male and female participant
The survey on demographic suggests that among the surveyed responded 41.6 percent are
male while the female percentage is 56.9 percent.

9BEHAVIOURAL SECURITY RESEARCH PROJECT
Figure 2: Proportion of degree of education among the participants
The survey on education reveal that most of the respondents have some college or no
degree followed by bachelor degree, high school graduate or equivalent degree and post graduate
degree.

10BEHAVIOURAL SECURITY RESEARCH PROJECT
Figure 3: Description of pre-test password length
Before the test most of the respondents selects a pass of length 8. Other people mostly
select password of length 6, 7, 10 or 11.

11BEHAVIOURAL SECURITY RESEARCH PROJECT
Figure 4: Description of post-test password length
After the test also proportion of people selected a password of length 8 dominates the
other groups.