Women Less Likely to Use Phone Passwords; Kenya Among Global Exceptions

A recent global survey has revealed significant gaps in mobile phone security, with women worldwide less likely than men to protect their devices using passwords. Interestingly, Kenya and a few other African nations emerged as notable exceptions to the trend.

The survey, part of the World Bank’s Global Findex report, analyzed password usage across regions and economies. It found that women in Europe, Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East are about 10 percentage points less likely than men to secure their phones.

Kenyans Lead in Phone Security

In Sub-Saharan Africa, 17 of the 20 countries with the lowest password adoption rates were identified. However, Kenya, along with Botswana, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa, reported higher security practices—approximately two-thirds or more of mobile phone owners in these countries use passwords or PINs.

Mobile Money Risks

The findings raise concerns for regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, where mobile money is widely adopted. Nearly half of the region’s 300 million mobile money account holders reportedly do not secure their phones with passwords, exposing them to financial risks.

While most mobile money providers require a PIN for transactions, researchers found cases where others control users’ passwords, increasing vulnerability.

“In most economies, between 15% and 30% of phone owners with passwords cannot change them,” the report noted.

Despite these issues, gender parity exists among mobile money account owners; women are equally likely as men to secure their accounts with passwords.

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