Creating Strong Passwords

Your password is often the only thing standing between your personal information and someone who wants to steal it. Let’s make sure it’s a good one.

Why Password Strength Matters

Weak passwords are the #1 way accounts get hacked. Attackers use automated tools that can try millions of password combinations per second. A password like “password123” can be cracked in less than a second.

What Makes a Password Strong?

A strong password has four key characteristics:

1. Length

Aim for at least 12 characters. Every additional character makes your password exponentially harder to crack.

• 8 characters: Can be cracked in hours
• 12 characters: Takes years to crack
• 16+ characters: Virtually uncrackable

2. Complexity

Use a mix of:

• Uppercase letters (A-Z)
• Lowercase letters (a-z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special characters (!@#$%^&*)

3. Unpredictability

Avoid:

• Dictionary words
• Personal information (birthdays, names, addresses)
• Common patterns (123456, qwerty)
• Simple substitutions (p@ssw0rd)

4. Uniqueness

Never reuse passwords. If one account is breached, all your other accounts with that same password are vulnerable.

The Passphrase Method

The easiest way to create a strong password is to use a passphrase - a random string of words that’s easy to remember but hard to guess.

Example: correct-horse-battery-staple

This is:

• 28 characters long
• Easy to remember
• Nearly impossible to crack through brute force

How to Create a Good Passphrase

1. Pick 4-6 random words (truly random, not related to each other)
2. Add some numbers or special characters
3. Capitalize a few letters

Better example: Purple-Tiger-42-Keyboard-Jump!

Quick Tips

• ✅ Use a password manager (we’ll cover this in another guide)
• ✅ Enable two-factor authentication when available
• ✅ Change passwords if you suspect a breach
• ❌ Don’t share passwords via email or text
• ❌ Don’t write passwords on sticky notes
• ❌ Don’t use the same password everywhere

Test Your Password

A good password should:

• Be at least 12 characters
• Include uppercase and lowercase letters
• Include numbers
• Include special characters
• Not contain dictionary words
• Not contain personal information
• Be unique to this account

Next Steps

Now that you know how to create strong passwords, learn how to manage them effectively with our guide on password managers.