State of Global Authentic(age)ion: A look at cybersecurity habits by generations
No generations were left untouched when it came to the threat of hackers in 2024: from the impact of political shakeups, to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks targeting consumers, critical industries and infrastructures, the world was on high alert. Fueled by a dramatic increase in phishing attacks circumventing certain forms of legacy multi-factor authentication (MFA), as well as a rise in AI-driven cyber threats, bad actors were on the attack in record numbers.
As we kick off 2025 with a continuously evolving threat landscape, it’s more important than ever to rethink security practices and how to create a holistic, proactive approach to cybersecurity hygiene across personal life and the workplace. Having an accurate view of the impact of cybersecurity – both positive as well as what can be improved upon – is an invaluable asset to improving security postures. Yubico was able to do just that last year: our 2024 State of Global Authentication survey captured a snapshot of the current state of cybersecurity – including how individuals and businesses around the world are tackling authentication and the increasing risks of technologies like AI on cybersecurity efforts globally.
To get a better understanding of the results, we dove deeper into the differences (and similarities) of generations and the ages of respondents. With the survey highlighting overarching trends globally, the extended breakdown is a unique look at how generations differ in terms of their cybersecurity habits. For example, the results show clear differences in the habits of Gen Z compared to other generations – including how Gen Z is more aware of hacks impacting their daily lives, which is making them more conscious of their cybersecurity habits. Key global findings between generations include:
- Nearly half of Gen Z (47%) and Millennials (46%) have had their social media account passwords hacked
- Gen Z and Millennials lead in hardware security key usage, relying less on passwords than other generations
- Generations agree: 42% question whether organizations are doing enough to protect their data
- Gen Z most concerned about AI’s role in cyberattacks, with 73% noting sophisticated scams
- Gen Z is almost 20% more likely to use MFA than Baby Boomers and Gen X
- Almost 50% of Baby Boomers believe usernames and passwords is an effective cybersecurity method – compared to 35% for Gen Z