Passphrases are longer versions of passwords that may be easier to remember and harder to guess. If you opt to use a passphrase, some of the complexity requirements are relaxed: Show
Some other considerations:
We encourage the use of a Password Manager, which makes it possible to use very complex passwords that are different for each site and are not reused. The University has partnered with LastPass to supply complimentary LastPass password management accounts to students, faculty, and staff. Other techniques for selecting strong and memorable passwords can be found in the OIT Information Security Office. (Note, however, that our password rules differ from OIT's password rules.) In a world where cyberattacks are becoming more common, it’s essential to have strong and unique passwords for your online accounts. For example, consider these 8-character passwords:
The above passwords are strong because they contain:
⚠️ Critical Warning: The above passwords are examples. Please do not use these particular passwords now that I’ve published them here on the Internet. Create your own variations or use a password generator. Although a strong password is important, it is useless if you use it for more than one site. If one site is compromised and your password is leaked, all other accounts with the same password can also be compromised. You will also need to store your password securely, like in a password manager or vault. Check out my Recommended Tech page for the best password managers. But the best free and open source (FOSS) option is Bitwarden while a good company-supported selection is 1Password or Dashlane. Think About This: Let’s assume, for example, that I store my valuables in a large metal safe but leave the key on top of it. The safe would not be very secure. It isn’t simply about the security of the safe; it’s also about how effectively you safeguard the key. Similarly, writing down a complex password and leaving it on your desk where anyone can see it isn’t beneficial. The Best Way To Make Your Feeble 8-Character Password RobustAccording to researcher Gorden, all complex passwords aim to be unlike any word, phrase, date, or other string with semantic content. However, a good password must be easy to remember to be useful. Entropy is a measure of how unpredictable a password is. The higher the entropy, the more difficult it is to guess the password. Two things make a password’s entropy — its length and its complexity. Passwords that look random and gibberish offer the most complexity. It’s really simple to construct a complex yet memorable password. I use the first letter of each word of a favorite song, poem, quotation, personal goal, or other sources and substitute numbers and other characters. Examples of Unique Passwords Inspired from Phrases ExampleStrongInspiration2Bon2B!?YesQuote – To be or not to be is the question!R0^A8gsYesFavorite Song – Rock of AgesI2l!tpbbYesFavorite sport – I too like to play baseballMD1n!RYesPet’s name – My dog’s first name is RexMsPi@24yYesSister’s name – My sister, Peg is 24 years oldWhat is a Brute Force Attack & How Long Does it Take to Crack An 8-Character PasswordA simple brute-force attack is the most basic attack used against a password. This is a process by which an attacker tries all possible combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols to find the correct password. The application of brute force may begin with the letter “a,” then “b,” and finally “c.” It will loop back after reaching “z,” and try again with uppercase letters. It will attempt numerals and special characters after the letters have been completed. The application will then try two-character combinations once every known character has been used. This cycle continues until the whole password is found. Brute-force attack on 8-character passwords with different combinationsTo make a password very secure, you can add more characters or more than one uppercase letter, number, or special symbol. The more of these, the merrier. Rainbow Tables: The Common Password CrackerA rainbow table is a hacker’s best friend because it allows him to crack passwords quickly. Basically, a rainbow table is a database of pre-calculated hashes for common passwords. When hackers try to crack a password, they first compare the hash of the password they’re trying to crack with the hashes in the rainbow table. If there’s a match, they know the password has already been cracked. If you are using a common password, then there is a risk that your password can be cracked with rainbow tables. Which is More Secure? A Random Password Generator or Human-Generated Passwords?There is no definitive answer to this question. Both methods have their pros and cons. Random password generators create passwords that are difficult to crack because they are generated randomly and are therefore unpredictable. Stop and think: Are random password generators truly random? In the book The Basics of Digital Privacy, Author and researcher Derry Cherry states that password generators are close enough to random for the average person. Still, they aren’t truly random because they use predictable algorithms within the software to create the password. To recreate your unique password, someone would have to use the same password generator software as you did when you created your password, and they would also have to use it on the same computer at the same time. The reason password generator software is effective is that the passwords it creates are based on computer device IDs and changing values such as the time of password creation. This allows for many passwords to be created in a short period while still being unpredictable. However, the downside is that people often find it difficult to remember these passwords, especially if they are long and complex. We have a blog post with detailed instructions on creating a memorable password using a password generator. On the other hand, an analysis conducted by researchers revealed that humans rarely choose passwords that are both difficult to guess and easy to remember. Human-generated passwords are easy to remember but can be cracked more easily than random passwords. The upside is that people are more likely to recall human-generated passwords without having to write them down or store them in a password manager. Weak 8-Character Password List (Password strategies to stay away from)Security analysts say that the length of a password is not the most important thing to worry about. The guessability of a password is a more critical factor. Easy-to-guess passwords are the easiest to crack. Stay away from them. According to this study, poor, weak passwords have the following traits:
Stay Away from a Default PasswordThe use of default accounts and passwords is common and dangerous. A quick search on the web will provide most default passwords. Stay Away from Common PasswordsHackers often use lists of common passwords to try to guess the passwords for other people’s accounts. If your password is one of the most commonly used passwords, then it’s more likely that a hacker will be able to guess it and gain access to your account. List of Popular 8-character Common Passwords Examples (You should NEVER use)
Stay Away From Passwords That Contain Words Appearing In Any DictionaryPasswords that contain dictionary words are vulnerable to dictionary attacks. A dictionary attack is a password cracking technique that relies on a list of words. Dictionary attacks initially used words found in dictionaries, hence “dictionary attack.” The attacker tries to log in to the system using each word in the wordlist until they find a match. Dictionary attacks are often successful because many people use easy-to-remember passwords found in a dictionary. List of 8-character Passwords Examples With Dictionary Words In them
Stay Away From Passwords Containing Personal InformationPeople who know you or have access to information about you can guess your passwords. Your significant other’s name, child’s name, pet’s name, birth date, phone number, or your favorite sports team are examples of information that someone could use to guess your password. List of 8-character Passwords Examples Containing Personal Information
It is vital to have strong and unique passwords to protect your personal information online in today’s world. While we want to think of the Internet as a beautiful, calm place where everyone gets along, the truth is that it is more akin to the Wild West than a serene place. Many people want to take your money and identity and exploit it for their own objectives. Make sure you take proactive steps to protect yourself online. What does 8 12 characters mean in a password?This means that your password must be of at least 8 alphanumeric character and can reach to maximum length of 12 alphanumeric characters. The term 'alphanumeric' means the combination of upper-case and lower-case alphabets or letters and numbers and special characters (such as @, #, $ etc.).
What is a good password with 12 characters?2 Ways To Create A Strong 12 Character Password. 12 characters or more.. Upper & Lowercase & symbols.. Avoid info that can be pulled from social media (family names, maiden names, birthplace, D.O.B… I'm sure you understand). Don't reuse a password.. Password Managers are good.. It is better to have 2FA than to not have 2FA.. What are 8 characters in a password?Answer: 8 characters is between 1 words and 2 words with spaces included in the character count. If spaces are not included in the character count, then 8 characters is between 1 words and 3 words.
Why a 12 character password?Having a long mix of upper and lower case letters, symbols and numbers is the best way make your password more secure. A 12-character password containing at least one upper case letter, one symbol and one number would take 34,000 years for a computer to crack.
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