World Password Day: Increasing Demand for Two-Factor Authentication

On World Password Day, celebrated on the first Thursday of May, GMX and web.de released a survey revealing significant advancements in cybersecurity awareness.

According to the survey, approximately 56% of participants expressed a desire for multi-factor authentication (MFA), indicating a preference for additional security measures when logging into online accounts. This marks a shift from previous perceptions where many viewed such security features as cumbersome. The survey highlights a growing recognition among users that a second layer of authentication enhances security.

Individuals engaged in online banking are already familiar with two-factor authentication (2FA), which is now legally mandated for financial transactions. The survey results show that 71% of respondents are currently using 2FA, suggesting that awareness and implementation are on the rise. Furthermore, 30% of those surveyed indicated that they would appreciate 2FA for their email accounts, while 28% found it beneficial for online shopping, and 21% for cloud storage services.

Despite the demand for enhanced security, only 16% of participants reported actively protecting their online storage with a second factor, and the figures were slightly higher for social media accounts at 19%. The most commonly used method for 2FA is SMS verification (65%), followed by email codes and biometric methods like fingerprint and facial recognition.

Passwords continue to pose a challenge for many users, with 57% admitting to reusing the same password across multiple services. This practice raises concerns, as a single compromised password can jeopardize multiple accounts. On a more positive note, awareness of passkeys is growing; 70% of respondents are familiar with them, and 32% actively utilize them, with 61% expressing interest in replacing their passwords with passkeys.

Over half of the participants (57%) expressed concerns about the potential theft of their passwords, with 64% fearing that advancements in artificial intelligence could make password cracking significantly easier. However, the specifics of how this would occur remain unclear. This representative survey was conducted in April 2025, involving 1,121 internet users in Germany aged 18 and older.