"I'm actually going to go and change these passwords": Analyzing the Usability of Credential Audit Interfaces in Password Managers
Emiram Kablo, Katharina Kader, Patricia Arias-Cabarcos · 2024
Credential audit interfaces in password managers play a crucial role in enhancing user security by identifying weak, reused, or exposed passwords. However, existing research lacks a comprehensive analysis of the usability and motivations of adopters and non-adopters. To address this gap, we conducted 11 semi-structured interviews with users and non-users of credential audit tools, all of whom use password managers. Our study reveals security as the primary motivator for adoption. Despite a potential challenge in handling overwhelming results by the audit reports, participants showed commitment to security and suggested potential benefits of prioritization techniques for a better overview of important results. Transparency and detailed explanations for password weaknesses were identified as user needs. Our broader discussion on password manager adoption underscores the significance of security and convenience as key adoption factors.