Why Password Strength Matters
In 2024, over 1.5 billion passwords were leaked in data breaches. Weak passwords are the #1 cause of account takeovers. A strong, unique password for every account is the single most effective security measure you can take.
What Makes a Password Strong?
Password strength is determined by two factors: length and character variety.
- Length — Each additional character exponentially increases the time to crack. A 12-character password is millions of times harder to crack than an 8-character one.
- Character set — Using uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols dramatically increases complexity.
- Randomness — Avoid dictionary words, names, dates, and patterns.
How Password Crackers Work
Attackers use several methods to crack passwords:
- Dictionary attacks — Try every word in a dictionary and common variations
- Brute force — Try every possible combination of characters
- Rainbow tables — Precomputed hash lookup tables for common passwords
- Credential stuffing — Use leaked username/password pairs from other breaches
Password Strength Examples
password— Cracked instantly (dictionary word)P@ssw0rd— Cracked in seconds (too common)Tr0ub4dor&3— Cracked in daysxK#9mP$2nQ@7— Would take thousands of years
Best Practices
- Use a minimum of 16 characters
- Use a different password for every account
- Use a password manager (Bitwarden, 1Password) to remember them
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible
- Never share passwords or write them on paper
- Change passwords immediately if you suspect a breach
Use our free Password Generator to create cryptographically secure random passwords with your preferred length and character options.