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"I'm 73, you can't expect me to have multiple passwords": Password Management Concerns and Solutions of Irish Older Adults

Ashley Sheil, Jacob Camilleri, Michelle O'Keeffe, Melanie Gruben, Moya Cronin, Hazel Murray

TL;DR

This paper investigates password management among Irish older adults (59–86) using interviews, focus groups, and think‑aloud observations to develop accessible, region‑specific guidance. It reveals a mix of secure and insecure practices, with notable reliance on non‑digital storage and skepticism toward password managers, while recognizing the value of passphrases and written records. Through co‑creation with older adults and iterative testing, the authors produce practical guidance anchored in NIST memorized‑secret principles, complemented by recommendations for 2FA and safer handling of compromised accounts. The findings underscore the need for user‑friendly, context‑aware password guidance and organizational policy changes to balance usability and security for aging populations in Ireland and similar contexts.

Abstract

Based on Irish older adult's perceptions, practices, and challenges regarding password management, the goal of this study was to compile suitable advice that can benefit this demographic. To achieve this, we first conducted semi structured interviews (n=37), we then collated advice based on best practice and what we learned from these interviews. We facilitated two independent focus groups (n=31) to evaluate and adjust this advice and tested the finalized advice through an observational study (n=15). The participants were aged between 59 and 86 and came from various counties in Ireland, both rural and urban. The findings revealed that managing multiple passwords was a significant source of frustration, leading some participants to adopt novel and informal strategies for storing them. A notable hesitation to adopt digital password managers and passphrases was also observed. Participants appreciated guidance on improving their password practices, with many affirming that securely writing down passwords was a practical strategy. Irish older adults demonstrated strong intuition regarding cybersecurity, notably expressing concerns over knowledge-based security checks used by banks and government institutions. This study aims to contribute to the aggregation of practical password advice suited to older adults, making password security more manageable and less burdensome for this demographic.

"I'm 73, you can't expect me to have multiple passwords": Password Management Concerns and Solutions of Irish Older Adults

TL;DR

This paper investigates password management among Irish older adults (59–86) using interviews, focus groups, and think‑aloud observations to develop accessible, region‑specific guidance. It reveals a mix of secure and insecure practices, with notable reliance on non‑digital storage and skepticism toward password managers, while recognizing the value of passphrases and written records. Through co‑creation with older adults and iterative testing, the authors produce practical guidance anchored in NIST memorized‑secret principles, complemented by recommendations for 2FA and safer handling of compromised accounts. The findings underscore the need for user‑friendly, context‑aware password guidance and organizational policy changes to balance usability and security for aging populations in Ireland and similar contexts.

Abstract

Based on Irish older adult's perceptions, practices, and challenges regarding password management, the goal of this study was to compile suitable advice that can benefit this demographic. To achieve this, we first conducted semi structured interviews (n=37), we then collated advice based on best practice and what we learned from these interviews. We facilitated two independent focus groups (n=31) to evaluate and adjust this advice and tested the finalized advice through an observational study (n=15). The participants were aged between 59 and 86 and came from various counties in Ireland, both rural and urban. The findings revealed that managing multiple passwords was a significant source of frustration, leading some participants to adopt novel and informal strategies for storing them. A notable hesitation to adopt digital password managers and passphrases was also observed. Participants appreciated guidance on improving their password practices, with many affirming that securely writing down passwords was a practical strategy. Irish older adults demonstrated strong intuition regarding cybersecurity, notably expressing concerns over knowledge-based security checks used by banks and government institutions. This study aims to contribute to the aggregation of practical password advice suited to older adults, making password security more manageable and less burdensome for this demographic.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 31 sections, 1 figure.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. Method
  4. Results
  5. Password Management
  6. Password Creation
  7. Password concerns
  8. Adapted Password Advice
  9. Feedback on Advice
  10. Password Management Advice Feedback
  11. Write it down
  12. No need to do regular password changes
  13. Digital password managers
  14. Password Creation Advice Feedback
  15. Use a sentence as a password
  16. ...and 16 more sections

Figures (1)

  • Figure 1: Image prompt for changing password.