Question 1

What makes a strong password?

Accepted Answer

Strong passwords have: 16+ characters (longer = stronger), mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols, no dictionary words or personal info, no patterns (123, abc), unique per account. Example: "Tr0pic@l-Sunset#47$Moon". Use passphrases: "Coffee!Mountain$River29". Entropy >60 bits ideal. Avoid: password123, qwerty, 12345678. Use password manager to generate and store unique passwords for every account.

Question 2

What is password entropy?

Accepted Answer

Entropy measures password unpredictability in bits. Higher = stronger. Calculation: bits = log2(possible_combinations). Example: 8 lowercase letters = 37 bits (weak), 16 mixed characters = 95 bits (strong). 60+ bits = resistant to offline attacks, 80+ bits = excellent. Character variety matters: adding numbers/symbols increases entropy exponentially. Use entropy to compare password strength objectively.

Question 3

How long to crack my password?

Accepted Answer

Depends on: password length, character variety, attacker resources. Online attacks (slow): 1000 tries/sec - weak passwords cracked in seconds. Offline attacks (fast): 100 billion tries/sec (GPUs) - 8 char password cracked in hours. Quantum computers (future threat). Defense: 16+ character passwords take centuries to crack offline. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) - even cracked password cannot access account alone.

Question 4

Should I use special characters?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but length matters more. Special characters increase entropy slightly. 16 character lowercase > 10 character with symbols. Best: combine both. Use special characters naturally: "Blue$Sky&Morning27" vs "p@ssw0rd" (weak despite symbols). Avoid predictable substitutions (@ for a, 0 for o). Focus on length first, variety second. Passphrases with spaces/punctuation are ideal.

Question 5

Is my password in a data breach?

Accepted Answer

Check using Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) Pwned Passwords database (850M+ breached passwords). HIBP uses k-anonymity - sends only first 5 hash characters, checks locally. Our tool integrates HIBP API. If found: change immediately, enable MFA, check for unauthorized access. Breached passwords are targeted in credential stuffing attacks. Never reuse passwords across accounts.

Question 6

Are password managers safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Password managers are safer than reusing weak passwords. They generate strong unique passwords, store encrypted (AES-256), sync across devices, auto-fill securely. Recommended: Bitwarden (open-source), 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane. Use strong master password + MFA. Risk: single point of failure if master password compromised. Benefit: eliminates password reuse, phishing-resistant, convenience. Essential security tool.

Question 7

What are common password mistakes?

Accepted Answer

Common mistakes: using personal info (names, birthdays), dictionary words (password, admin), patterns (123456, qwerty), password reuse across accounts, short passwords (<12 chars), predictable substitutions (p@ssw0rd), writing passwords down insecurely, sharing passwords, no MFA. Attackers exploit these patterns. Solution: password manager + unique passwords + MFA for all accounts. Change default passwords immediately.

Question 8

How often should I change passwords?

Accepted Answer

Change only when: confirmed breach, suspected compromise, sharing password (stop sharing), weak password needs upgrade. Do not change routinely (causes weaker passwords). NIST (2024) recommends: no mandatory periodic changes, change only after breach, use long unique passwords + MFA. Exception: rotate privileged access credentials (90 days). Focus on breach monitoring, not arbitrary schedules.

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References & Citations

Key Security Terms

Brute Force Attack

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Frequently Asked Questions