To assess how secure a password is, several key factors and methods are used:
- Password strength checkers analyze common password dictionaries, substitutions (like replacing "A" with "4"), keyboard patterns, and sequences commonly used by hackers.
- The strongest passwords are typically long (at least 12-16 characters), random, and a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols.
- Short passwords, common words, repeated characters, or predictable substitutions are vulnerable to hacking methods such as brute force or dictionary attacks.
- Passphrases—combinations of random words—are also recommended for creating strong, memorable passwords.
- Checking if a password has appeared in known data breaches also helps determine its security risk.
- Using password managers to generate and store complex, unique passwords is advised for better security.
Security experts emphasize that password length, randomness, and uniqueness are more important than just meeting composition rules (like including symbols and digits). Also, reusing passwords across sites increases risk significantly. Many online tools and browser-integrated services (like Google Password Checkup) allow one to test password security and see if passwords have been compromised in data breaches without transmitting the full password to the server. In summary, a strong password is one that is long (12+ characters), complex, unique across accounts, and has not appeared in known breaches. Using password checkers and managers can help ensure and maintain password security.
