SmallBizResource Blog -- Research

What Would Get You To Reveal Your Computer Password?

Posted by Gayle Kesten Thursday, Apr 17, 2008, 12:24 PM ET

The answer, I'm afraid, is bittersweet.

Then again, maybe it's milk, dark or white. According to a study conducted in London, women are four times more likely than men to fess up their passwords to get their hands on chocolate -- 45 percent compared to 10 percent.

At least this year's findings are better than last year's, "when 64 percent of respondents traded their security for a few moments of chocolaty goodness," reports InformationWeek, which also notes the Infosecurity Europe study "made no mention of whether inducements tailored to men, such as sports tickets, free beer, or explicit pictures, were offered to test the possibility that the noted gender disparity might be reversed under different circumstances."

Good point. Now, I can't imagine any of my female friends revealing their computer passwords for a mere bar of chocolate, no matter what our evil hormones try to force us to do. But everyone has a price. So I asked a few gal pals what it *would* take to make them cough up their passwords. Here's what they said:

Dona: I would not give up my computer password for chocolate. Now, if it came with a handsome man feeding me the chocolate, that would be a different story!

Meryl: It would have to be monetary -- gimme a lot of money and you have a deal!

Roma: I don’t think I’d give it up to anyone, unless it was life or death or something that serious.

Sandy: I would probably give it up for money, and lots of it. That’s right, I could be bribed for enough mula to keep me clothed in designer and to have a villa in Tuscany. There, I said it.

Elaine: Nada!

Dina: If someone offered me a seven-day trip to somewhere warm -- especially if I could meet my best friends there :) -- that would do it.

Personally, I'm with Roma. I'd absolutely reveal my password if a weapon of personal mass destruction were involved, say a gun or knife.

Then to rejoice in my survival, I'd celebrate with a pound of chocolate.

Research