It’s more crucial than ever to understand the essence of a robust password. What makes a password not just good, but great? And how do the worst offenders of 2023 fare against the criteria of strength and security?
Understanding the nuances of password strength is akin to mastering the art of creating an unbreakable digital fortress. A password’s strength is its primary defense against the relentless onslaught of cyber threats. But what exactly makes a password strong, and how does this strength shield your digital persona from the prying eyes of cyber intruders?
What a Strong Password Looks Like
1. Complexity
- A strong password incorporates a diverse mix of characters: uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. This variety creates a vast array of possible combinations, making it exponentially harder for attackers to guess or brute-force your password.
- Sequential strings (like ‘12345’) or common phrases (like ‘password’) are easily decipherable. A strong password avoids these predictable patterns, opting instead for a seemingly random assortment of characters.
2. Length
- Each additional character in a password exponentially increases the number of possible combinations. While a 5-character password might seem adequate, extending it to 12, 16, or even 20 characters significantly enhances its resilience against brute-force attacks.
3. Unpredictability
- Passwords containing easily accessible personal information (like birthdates or names) are a hacker’s delight. Strong passwords stay clear of such details.
- The less logical the sequence, the better. Using a random password generator can be an excellent strategy for achieving this level of unpredictability.
In a brute-force attack, hackers use software to generate a vast number of guesses in an attempt to crack a password. The strength of a password determines how long it can withstand such an onslaught. For a hacker, time is of the essence. A complex and lengthy password requires significantly more time and computational power to crack, often deterring hackers who prefer low-hanging fruit.
Why Password Strength Matters in the Digital Age
1. As our lives become increasingly digital, the information guarded by our passwords grows more valuable. Email accounts, social media profiles, bank details – all are behind the lock and key of passwords.
2. A breach in one account can cascade. Many people use the same password across multiple platforms, meaning a single compromised password can lead to multiple breaches.
3. Hackers are continually refining their methods. Strong passwords are a necessary response to this ever-evolving threat landscape.
Creating a strong password isn’t rocket science, but it does require careful thought. Here are the keystones:
- Avoid Recycling Passwords: It’s tempting to reuse passwords – it’s simpler, right? But this is a critical vulnerability. If one account is compromised, all accounts sharing that password are at risk.
- Length Matters: Aim for at least 16 characters. A 16-character password is exponentially harder to crack than its 5-character counterpart.
- Mix Up Cases: A jumble of uppercase and lowercase letters can significantly complicate a hacker’s task. For instance, ‘HeLLowORlD’ is more secure than ‘helloworld’.
- Incorporate Numbers and Symbols: Adding these into your password recipe throws a wrench in the works for potential hackers, fortifying your password further.
Password Managers
Password managers act as secure vaults where you can store all your passwords. Think of them as personal safes, only accessible to you, where every password you have is securely locked away. These tools use advanced encryption methods to protect your data, ensuring that even if someone gains access to your password manager, they cannot decipher the contents without your master password.
With a password manager, the need to memorize multiple passwords is eliminated. You just need to remember one strong master password to access your repository of credentials. This master password is the key to unlocking your array of passwords, each one unique and complex, tailored for individual accounts. It’s like having a keychain with different keys, except you only need to remember where the keychain is.
One of the standout features of password managers is their ability to auto-generate strong passwords. When creating a new account or updating an existing password, these managers can suggest a password that meets all the criteria of complexity and strength. This feature not only saves time but also ensures that each password is as robust as possible, often more secure than what one might create manually.
In today’s multi-device world, a major advantage of password managers is their ability to sync across various devices. Whether you’re using a smartphone, tablet, or computer, your passwords are accessible and consistent across all platforms. This synchronization ensures that the latest passwords are always at your fingertips, regardless of the device you are using.
Advanced password managers offer additional layers of security, such as two-factor authentication (2FA) or biometric logins. This adds an extra step or layer in the verification process, significantly enhancing the security of your accounts. Even if someone manages to guess or obtain your master password, they still face the hurdle of the second verification step, be it a fingerprint, a code sent to your phone, or another form of identity confirmation.
Worst Passwords of 2023
It’s time to reveal the worst passwords of 2023, as compiled by SplashData and NordPass. If your password is listed here, it’s a red alert to change it immediately. These passwords are not just popular; they’re dangerously vulnerable:
| No. | Password | Time to Crack |
| 1 | 123456 | < 1 sec |
| 2 | 123456789 | < 1 sec |
| 3 | picture1 | 3 hrs |
| 4 | password | < 1 sec |
| 5 | 12345678 | < 1 sec |
| 6 | 111111 | < 1 sec |
| 7 | 123123 | < 1 sec |
| 8 | 12345 | < 1 sec |
| 9 | 1234567890 | < 1 sec |
| 10 | senha | 10 sec |
| 11 | 1234567 | < 1 sec |
| 12 | qwerty | < 1 sec |
| 13 | abc123 | < 1 sec |
| 14 | Million2 | 3 hrs |
| 15 | 000000 | < 1 sec |
| 16 | 1234 | < 1 sec |
| 17 | iloveyou | < 1 sec |
| 18 | aaron431 | 3 hrs |
| 19 | password1 | < 1 sec |
| 20 | qqww1122 | 52 min |
| 21 | 123 | < 1 sec |
| 22 | omgpop | 2 min |
| 23 | 123321 | < 1 sec |
| 24 | 654321 | < 1 sec |
| 25 | qwertyuiop | < 1 sec |
| 26 | qwer123456 | 4 sec |
| 27 | 123456a | < 1 sec |
| 28 | a123456 | < 1 sec |
| 29 | 666666 | < 1 sec |
| 30 | asdfghjkl | < 1 sec |
| 31 | ashley | 2 min |
| 32 | 987654321 | < 1 sec |
| 33 | unknown | 17 min |
| 34 | zxcvbnm | < 1 sec |
| 35 | 112233 | < 1 sec |
| 36 | chatbooks | 1 day |
| 37 | 20100728 | < 1 sec |
| 38 | 123123123 | < 1 sec |
| 39 | princess | < 1 sec |
| 40 | jacket025 | 8 hrs |
| 41 | evite | 10 sec |
| 42 | 123abc | < 1 sec |
| 43 | 123qwe | < 1 sec |
| 44 | sunshine | < 1 sec |
| 45 | 121212 | < 1 sec |
| 46 | dragon | < 1 sec |
| 47 | 1q2w3e4r | < 1 sec |
| 48 | 5201314 | 26 sec |
| 49 | 159753 | < 1 sec |
| 50 | 123456789 | < 1 sec |
| 51 | pokemon | < 1 sec |
| 52 | qwerty123 | < 1 sec |
| 53 | Bangbang123 | 2 days |
| 54 | jobandtalent | 3 years |
| 55 | monkey | < 1 sec |
| 56 | 1qaz2wsx | < 1 sec |
| 57 | abcd1234 | < 1 sec |
| 58 | default | 3 min |
| 59 | aaaaaa | < 1 sec |
| 60 | soccer | < 1 sec |
| 61 | 123654 | < 1 sec |
| 62 | ohmnamah23 | 12 days |
| 63 | 12345678910 | < 1 sec |
| 64 | zing | 1 sec |
| 65 | shadow | < 1 sec |
| 66 | 102030 | < 1 sec |
| 67 | 11111111 | < 1 sec |
| 68 | asdfgh | < 1 sec |
| 69 | 147258369 | < 1 sec |
| 70 | qazwsx | < 1 sec |
| 71 | qwe123 | < 1 sec |
| 72 | michael | 8 sec |
| 73 | football | < 1 sec |
| 74 | baseball | < 1 sec |
| 75 | 1q2w3e4r5t | < 1 sec |
| 76 | party | 10 sec |
| 77 | daniel | 5 sec |
| 78 | asdasd | < 1 sec |
| 79 | 222222 | < 1 sec |
| 80 | myspace1 | 3 hrs |
As you can see, it seems some of our passwords would be more at home in a comedy sketch than guarding our precious online accounts. It’s as if we’ve collectively decided that ‘123456’ is the digital equivalent of a ‘keep out’ sign on a fort made of pillows. While these laughably simple passwords might save us a few seconds of memory strain, they roll out the red carpet for cyber intruders with more than a chuckle. So, next time you’re tempted to set your password as ‘password’, remember it’s about as effective as using a chocolate teapot. Let’s add a pinch of creativity and a dash of complexity to our passwords, turning them from laughable to laudable.