To secure the vault, you’ll need to create a “master code,” a password that you’ll need to enter to access your stored passwords. To make things convenient, they work with operating systems and browsers so you can easily access your passwords on your devices whenever you need them. The next step, after creating a strong, randomly-generated password, is to store it in a secure but easy to access password vault.Ī password vault, otherwise known as password manager, is a service that lets you store passwords securely using encryption. Unless you have the eidetic memory of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, we don’t expect you to remember a random string of letters, numbers, and special characters. That’s why the passwords we generate are at least 12 characters long. With 540 sextillion (that’s 540 followed by 21 zeros) combinations, a hacker would need 3,000 years to guess a 12-character password using current technology. That paints quite a worrisome picture, but the good news is that adding just a few characters to your password makes it exponentially more secure. 2 According to the same report, it would take only 39 minutes to crack an eight-character complex password with letters, numbers, and special characters. However, cybercriminals have gotten tech-savvy, and they now have password cracking algorithms that can crack six-character passwords instantly, according to a report by Hive Systems. That is, if we’re talking about manual password cracking wherein someone enters and tries every possible combination manually. With over 19 billion possible combinations, even a six-character password with only uppercase and lowercase letters would be tough to crack. Special Characters, Numbers, and Letters (Uppercase and Lowercase) Numbers and Letters (Uppercase and Lowercase) Can you guess how many possible combinations that would generate? We created this handy chart to answer that and to show the importance of having a longer password. You have 95 keys to choose from, and any of the keys may be used twice. So to make the analogy work, picture a lock that has six keyholes and to unlock it, you need to insert the right keys in the right sequence. Of course, we’re talking about a lock with only one key, and passwords are often at least six characters long. With 95 keys to choose from, you’ve got yourself a lock that would take a while to open. Lastly, add 10 more keys corresponding to the numbers zero through nine, and 33 more to represent the special characters on your keyboard. Now, double that, adding the uppercase letters, and you’ve just made the lock twice as hard to open. The 26 keys represent the 26 lowercase letters of the English alphabet. Think of it like this: It takes less than a minute to open a lock if you have 26 keys to choose from and only one of them works. Why do your passwords need to include letters, numbers, and special characters? The short and simple answer is that they make your passwords harder to crack. Our password generator meets (and exceeds) this criteria. It must also be at least 12 characters long.įYI: Most online accounts require passwords to be at least eight characters long, and with at least one uppercase and lowercase letter, a number, and a special character. Your randomly-generated password should be an alphanumeric string with a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. So What Is A Secure Password?Īs mentioned, a secure password is often one that is generated randomly. We also found that around 20-percent use easy-to-guess password components such as their names, spouse’s names, children’s names, years of birth, and common phrases. That is not secure, as anyone who is in possession of your old password - for example, from a data breach - can guess your new password. Unfortunately, our research on America’s password habits shows that 57-percent still use slightly modified old passwords as their current passwords. With identity theft and online fraud on the rise, 1 that’s a benefit you wouldn’t want to miss out on. It prevents them from taking over important accounts, such as emails, or getting personal and payment information from online shopping accounts such as Amazon. The most obvious advantage is that cybercriminals cannot easily hack your online accounts. Using only strong passwords can have a huge positive impact on your digital wellbeing.
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