Password Cracking Reality
- 8 chars with just lowercase: cracked in 5 seconds with modern GPU
- 8 chars with mixed case + numbers + symbols: ~8 hours
- 12 chars with full character set: ~34,000 years
- 16+ chars: Effectively uncrackable with current technology
Why These Options Matter
- Exclude similar (I, l, 1, O, 0): Prevents confusion when typing passwords manually
- Exclude ambiguous symbols: Some systems reject { } [ ] or treat them specially
- Multiple passwords: Generate a batch for new user accounts or API keys
Most Common Passwords (Don't Use These!)
- 123456 — #1 for over a decade, used by 23 million accounts
- password — Still in top 5 every year
- qwerty — Keyboard patterns are instantly cracked
- Your birthday/name — Found in seconds via social media
- Company name + year — 'Acme2024' is the first guess attackers try
Pro Security Tips
- Use a password manager—one strong master password, unique passwords everywhere
- Enable 2FA even with strong passwords (passwords can be phished)
- 16+ characters > complexity (length beats special characters)
- Passphrases work too: 'correct-horse-battery-staple' is strong and memorable