Password strength checker

Tips for secure passwords

• Never give out your password to anyone
• Don’t use the same password more than once
• Use a mixture of upper and lowercase letters as well as alpha and numeric characters
• Use a pass phrase rather than a password
• Use a password manager
• Click the button below to find out more

Advice on creating a secure password

Our 3 top tips for creating a secure password are:

1. Use a combination of alpha and numeric characters

   A simple, common word can be cracked in less than a millisecond. Inject a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols (@, %, and #), and your password can suddenly take more than a decade to crack.

2. Make passwords longer

    Each time you add a character to a password, it exponentially increases its security. For example, eIt can take:

   • .29 milliseconds to crack a simple 5 letter password
   • 5 hours to crack a simple 9 letter password
   • 5 days to a crack simple 10 letter password
   • 4 months to a crack simple 11 letter password
   • 1 decade to a crack simple 12 letter password
   • 2 centuries to crack a simple 13 letter password

3. Use a pass phrase

   Experts are now recommending “passphrases” rather than passwords. They make it easier to remember but consist of random words, numbers, symbols, and upper and lower case letters. L0V3p4oPr1v@cy&EaT!cecR3aM! might be a good example. Aim for 20 characters or so — using seemingly random words strung together along with numbers, symbols, and upper and lower case letters.

4. Use a password manager

   It is simply impossible to use unique and secure passwords for every single site and service without some help. Password managers provide a secure solution to this problem. We’ve reviewed dozens of password managers, both paid and free to find the very best.