Here are some examples of how to improve the strength of your passwords and passphrases. Look at how long it takes to crack each of the following passwords.
Let's start with 3 common words:
Not very strong. Let's add a number:
How about a second number:
Let's add a different kind of character. Here are the most commonly accepted characters:
We'll use a hyphen:
These words I've chosen are extremely common. Let's swap one out for a less common word.
The strongest way to choose words is to use dice, to ensure the words are completely random. Here is a process for creating strong passwords by choosing the words using dice: eff.org/dice
Now you know how to create strong passwords!