How to Create a Strong Password (That You Can Actually Remember)

What Makes a Password "Strong"?

Password strength comes from length and unpredictability. A 20-character random password with mixed characters would take billions of years to crack with current technology.

How Hackers Crack Passwords

• Dictionary attacks: Try every word in the dictionary + common variations (P@ssw0rd, Summer2024!)
• Brute force: Try every possible combination — fast for short passwords, impossible for long ones
• Data breaches: Passwords leaked from one site tried on others (this is why reuse is dangerous)
• Social engineering: Guessing from your birthday, pet's name, favourite team

Time to Crack by Length

• 6 characters: Instant
• 8 characters (letters only): 2 minutes
• 8 characters (mixed): 8 hours
• 12 characters (mixed): 200 years
• 16 characters (mixed): Billions of years
• 20+ characters: Effectively impossible

The Passphrase Method

Instead of random characters, use 4-5 random words: correct-horse-battery-staple. This is long (28 chars), easy to remember, and extremely hard to crack.

Golden Rules

• Use 16+ characters minimum
• Never reuse passwords across sites
• Use a password manager (Bitwarden is free)
• Enable 2FA wherever possible
• Never use personal info (birthdays, names, addresses)