TECHNOLOGY

What makes a password actually strong?

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A strong password is long (at least 12 characters), uses a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, and avoids common words or personal information. The harder it is to guess or crack, the stronger the password.

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Minimum lengthAt least 12 characters, preferably 16 or more
Character types neededUppercase letters (A-Z), lowercase letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), and symbols (!@#$%)
What to avoidDictionary words, names, birthdays, phone numbers, or sequential patterns
Cracking timeA strong password takes hackers months or years to crack through brute force
UniquenessUse different passwords for different accounts so one breach doesn't expose everything

Length matters most

The longer your password, the harder it is to crack. Each additional character dramatically increases the time it takes a hacker to guess it. Security experts recommend at least 12 characters, with 16 or more being even better. A 16-character password is exponentially stronger than an 8-character one.

Mix different types of characters

Strong passwords combine uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols like !@#$%. This variety makes it much harder for hackers to guess because they have to try more possibilities. For example, 'MyDog2024!' is stronger than 'mydog2024' because it includes uppercase letters and a symbol.

Avoid predictable patterns

Do not use dictionary words, your name, family members' names, birthdays, addresses, or phone numbers. Hackers use software that automatically tries common words and personal information. Also avoid patterns like '123456' or 'qwerty' because these are among the first things attackers try. The more random and unpredictable your password looks, the safer it is.

Why uniqueness matters

You should use a different strong password for each important account, especially banking and email. If one website gets hacked and your password is stolen, hackers will try that same password on other sites. By using unique passwords everywhere, you limit the damage if one account is compromised.

Password managers help

Creating and remembering many strong, unique passwords is difficult. Password managers are secure apps that generate and store strong passwords for you, so you only need to remember one master password. Popular options include Bitwarden, 1Password, and LastPass.

Sources

  1. nist.gov (nist.gov)
  2. cisa.gov (cisa.gov)
  3. ncsc.gov.uk (ncsc.gov.uk)