Using the same password for multiple Web pages is the Internet-era equivalent of having the same key for your home, car and bank safe-deposit box.

According to the Associated Press, a new survey of Internet users said they use just one password for all their online accounts, even though a universal password is like gold for cyber thieves because they can use it to steal all of a person’s sensitive data at once.

The survey, conducted in the U.S. and U.K. by Accenture consultancy, also said 88 percent of the 800 people interviewed said personal irresponsibility is the key cause of identity theft and fraud, AP reported.

Researchers say the findings suggest that many users underestimate the growing threat from organized cyber criminals who can reap big profits from selling stolen identities.

“There’s a lot of confusion out there—a lot of people don’t think there’s a problem,” said Robert Dyson, a senior executive in Accenture’s global security practice.

Dyson said the problem with repeating passwords is that a hacker who successfully breaks into one account then has an easy time guessing how to get into all the user’s other accounts.

Seventy percent of the respondents in the U.K. said they don’t write down their passwords, versus 49 percent in the U.S., which explains why many users use repeat passwords: they don’t want to forget them.

Only seven percent of the respondents said they change their passwords often, use password management software or use a fingerprint reader to access their machines and accounts, AP said.

The survey analyzed individuals who used a computer at home, have high-speed Internet access and go online at least twice a week for something other than checking e-mail. The respondents were selected at random and questioned over the telephone. The mean age for the survey was 46, AP reported.