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Computers do not care how easy a password is for With 16 characters comprised of letters and numbers, we get a total of 95.27 bits of strenth, providing for 2^95.27 or (4.77 x 10^28) possible values.Īnother important point is that we should never worry that a password isĮasier for humans. Letters and numberswould provide 83.35 bits of strength. A 14-character password comprised of only If you wish to have the extra strength, use aġ4-character password. What is the benefit? With special characters, there is a total strength ofħ8.47 bits, versus 71.45 bits with the friendlier password. Using 93 different characters providesĪbout 6.54 bits of strength per character (log2(93)). Pool of 93 different characters that use special characters (e.g., $, !, If you prefer a slightly stronger password, you could generate one from a Values a hacker must inspect in order to crack the password. That means there are about 2^71.45 (or 3.23x10^21) possible Twelve such characters will yield 71.45 bits of This means each character provides about 5.95 bits of Possible values, including numbers, uppercase letters, and lowercase The reason we do not recommend use of special characters is that specialĬharacters like '&' add very little to the strength of the password,īut make it more difficult for humans to use. Passwords using special characters if requested we just do not do that by Note: the password generator software referenced above will generate Randomness of the password determines its strength. It is fair to ask if such passwords are strongĮnough for various applications. Further, we recommend use of thoseĬharacters to make it easier for humans to use. Knowing both values, it would be impossible to generate the "Serviceīy default, Packetizer's Secure Password Generator generates passwords using That for extra security, it is possible to use a random passwordįor both the "Single Pass Password" and the "Service Name". To create very cryptic passwords using a single master password. It is always a good idea to use different passwords for different web sites Secure password generator software (Perl script, C source code for Linux and Windows, and Windows executable).Much of the details found on the page below might not be of interest
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The secret to a good password is randomness and length. Such requirements actuallyĭo not lend significantly to the strength of a password, as you'll seeīelow.
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You will find that some web sites will demand the use of specialĬharacters, including !, %, $, and so forth. The question many people ask is, "What is a strong password?" Generating a strong, secure password is critical to protect yourīank accounts or other online accounts, and for use with software like
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