The Hidden Drains of Password Resets

A Persistent Productivity Drain

For many organizations, password resets are seen as a minor IT issue—an everyday inconvenience rather than a serious business concern. But beneath the surface, they represent a significant and recurring productivity drain, impacting not only employee experience but also operational efficiency and security posture.

It's estimated by Gartner that between 20% to 50% of all IT help desk tickets are related to password resets. Each reset doesn't just interrupt the flow of work; it also requires direct IT intervention and can take several minutes per incident. When scaled across a large organization, the accumulated impact is staggering. According to research from Forrester, the average cost of a single password reset is around $70 — when factoring in IT labor, lost productivity, and operational delay. For a company with 10,000 employees, that can result in annual losses in the millions. 

The Employee Experience: Delays and Frustration

The employee experience often suffers in the process. Resetting a forgotten password might seem like a straightforward task, but in many organizations it still requires contacting IT support—something that causes delays, particularly outside of business hours. Even when IT responds quickly, the employee may already have lost valuable time. Over time, these small interruptions erode productivity and contribute to frustration and disengagement. In fact, a survey by Axiad found that 70% of IT and security professionals report being overwhelmed by the complexity of their organization’s authentication systems—leading to dissatisfaction across the board.

The IT Burden: Repetitive Work and Wasted Resources

For IT teams, password reset requests represent an operational burden. They are repetitive, time-consuming, and ultimately prevent IT from focusing on higher-value strategic initiatives. Each request can involve navigating between ticketing systems, directory services, and authentication protocols—adding layers of complexity to what should be a simple process. In a hybrid work environment, where users access systems from multiple devices and locations, the challenge becomes even more pronounced. According to a 2023 report by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), IT teams spend an average of four hours per week managing account issues, driven largely by inefficient authentication and reset processes.

Security Risks: Weak Practices and Compromised Credentials

Security is also at stake. The more frequently users are required to reset their passwords, the more likely they are to fall into unsafe habits—reusing old passwords or creating weak ones. According to the Verizon 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report, 77% of hacking-related breaches involve stolen credentials, while 21% involve weak passwords. Without robust mechanisms for enforcing password policies and securing the reset process, organizations may unwittingly increase their exposure to social engineering and credential-based attacks.

A Smarter Approach: Automating the Reset Process with Matrix42

Clearly, a better approach is needed. Modern identity governance solutions offer a way forward—automating password management and providing secure, self-service reset capabilities that work across hybrid environments. Matrix42’s IGA solution addresses these challenges head-on. By enabling employees to reset passwords securely and independently, organizations can drastically reduce help desk volumes, free up IT resources, and improve the overall user experience. At the same time, policy enforcement and integration with multi-factor authentication ensure that security standards are upheld without adding friction.

Designed with European organizations in mind, Matrix42 IGA also supports data protection requirements such as GDPR and provides deployment flexibility across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. What was once a recurring source of cost, risk, and frustration can become a streamlined, secure, and even invisible part of the digital workplace.

Password resets may never fully disappear—but with the right tools in place, they no longer need to be a struggle. Read more about the Matrix42 IGA solution.