Realities of Account Sharing and Password Sharing

In the digital age, individuals have access to any and all information at their fingertips. We can browse the internet, stream movies and shows, listen to music, and even read a book all through our mobile devices. We have not only grown accustomed to the luxuries of the digital age, but also with the ability to share these resources with friends and family within seconds.

A survey done by reviews.org reveals that almost two out of five share streaming service logins with others. This is critical revenue that streaming companies are missing out on. And it isn’t only streaming companies that are suffering, any company with per-user or subscription-based pricing is susceptible to password sharing.

Netflix paved the way by recently cracking down on these account sharers and companies are soon to follow suit. Two terms have emerged from this relatively new initiative: account sharing and password sharing.

Let's look at what these two phrases mean.

Additionally, we will explore the importance of password and account sharing prevention. Then, discuss effective strategies to stop this without impacting the user experience or security.

Defining password sharing

Password sharing occurs when a paying user shares their login credentials with a non-paying user. This is common for any site or platform that doesn’t require MFA. Users simply have to send over their login info and another user can login and utilize the platform at no cost.

Defining account sharing

Account sharing occurs when a company does have SSO or MFA set up, but a user is still able to share access with non-paying users.

This just goes to show that traditional account sharing prevention measures aren’t enough to protect your platform.

Preventing account sharing and password sharing

Not only does preventing account sharing allow you to reclaim up to 30% of your revenue, but it also safeguards personal and organizational security. Here are a few ways you can start your password sharing prevention efforts:

Account Activity Monitoring

One way that you can help prevent account sharing is by monitoring account activity. You can monitor various signals of a user in order to determine whether they are account sharing or not. While this method is effective, it is incredibly tedious, time consuming, and resource draining for companies to do on their own.

Implement an Account Sharing Prevention Software

The third method is to implement an account sharing prevention software. This software uses a complex algorithm that incorporates multiple data points and user behavior signals to accurately detect account sharing. Companies can rely on this next-generation technology to handle the heavy lifting while providing insightful results.

Account sharing and password sharing both result in a breach of security, increased back end cost without an increase in revenue, and can damage the user experience. This is why prevention is vital for companies. So, let’s stop account sharing and embrace responsible account management to protect ourselves and our users.

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