Two-thirds of corporate computer users admit to having written down IT access passwords at least once, a recent survey has revealed.

According to the study, conducted online at SearchSecurity.com and sponsored by security firm Rainbow Technologies, the reason is that 75 per cent of all companies require end users to change passwords at least every 13 weeks.

Of the 300 opt-in subscribers who participated in the survey, just under a third indicated that they change their passwords more than seven times a year.

"Once an end user writes down the password, the potential for a breach of business-critical data and applications jumps considerably," warned Jeff Laubhan, senior product marketing manager at Rainbow Technologies.

"Look around any office, and you'll find sticky notes on or near monitors or attached to the underside of the keyboard.

"The survey found that companies are concerned enough about securing their systems to deploy user names and passwords.

"But they face the challenge of finding a balance between a robust password policy and one that drives people over the edge to write it down.

"Security is only as strong as the weakest link, which is usually a password.

"You can have the most complicated security system entailing encryption, VPN, secure vaults and more, but it can all be broken with a weak or written down password."