How to Create a Strong Password
Learn what makes a password truly secure, common mistakes to avoid, and how to manage dozens of strong passwords without memorizing them.
Why Password Strength Matters
Most account breaches don't happen through sophisticated hacking — they happen because passwords are too short, too simple, or reused across sites. A single compromised password can cascade into losing access to email, banking, and social accounts in minutes.
What Makes a Password Strong?
A strong password has three core properties:
- Length — At least 16 characters. Every extra character multiplies the combinations an attacker must try exponentially.
- Randomness — No words, names, dates, or keyboard patterns. "P@ssw0rd" is cracked instantly by modern tools despite looking complex.
- Uniqueness — Never reused across different services. If one site leaks its database, your other accounts stay safe.
Common Patterns to Avoid
| Pattern | Example | Why it fails |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary words | sunshine |
Cracked in seconds |
| Leetspeak substitutions | s3cur1ty |
Known to all cracking dictionaries |
| Keyboard walks | qwerty123 |
First entry in every wordlist |
| Personal info | john1985 |
Guessable from social profiles |
| Short passwords | Abc!9 |
Brute-forced in under a minute |
The Right Approach: Random Generation
The only reliable way to get a strong password is to generate it randomly. Human brains are terrible at producing true randomness — we gravitate toward familiar patterns without realising it.
Use a password generator that:
- Uses cryptographically secure randomness (not
Math.random()) - Lets you control length (aim for 20+ characters)
- Includes uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
- Works entirely in your browser — your password never touches a server
Our Password Generator does all of this.
How to Remember Strong Passwords
You don't — that's the point. Use a password manager (Bitwarden, 1Password, KeePass). You only need to memorise one long master passphrase; the manager stores everything else encrypted.
A good master passphrase is 4–5 random words: correct-horse-battery-staple. Long, memorable, and statistically stronger than X@9kL#2m.
Quick Checklist
- 16+ characters (20+ for critical accounts)
- Generated randomly, not typed by hand
- Unique per site — never reused
- Stored in a password manager
- 2FA enabled on all important accounts