About password strength checker
A strength checker estimates how hard a password would be to guess and how long a cracking attempt might take.
What weakens a password
- Common words, names, dates and keyboard patterns such as qwerty.
- Predictable substitutions like p@ssw0rd.
- Short length, even with symbols.
- Reuse across sites.
Read the result as an estimate
Time-to-crack depends on how an attacker works and how the site stores passwords. Treat the figure as a rough guide, not a guarantee.
Private
The check runs in your browser. Even so, avoid typing a password you currently use; test a similar one instead.
A worked example
The password Password@123 looks complicated, but it uses a common word and a predictable pattern, so it is cracked quickly. Four unrelated random words such as river-lamp-quartz-seven is longer, easier to remember and far stronger.
How to improve a password
- Make it longer rather than adding more symbols.
- Avoid names, birthdays and keyboard patterns.
- Use a passphrase of four or more random words for accounts you type often.
