Is Your Password Strong Enough?

Using password cracking software and AI, hackers don’t have to sit in a dark room guessing passwords one at a time – the technology they use can test thousands of password combinations every second. Creating strong and unique passwords are crucial steps to keeping your accounts safe.

6 Tips for secure passwords:

• Every password/passphrase should be at least 16 characters long.
• Every password should be a random mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
• Never reuse passwords – each account should have a unique password.
• Avoid personal information such as birthdays, names of family members, pets, addresses, or favorite sports teams. This information can often be found on social media.
• Use a password manager to create and store your passwords – they are safe, easy to use, and many are even free!
• Never share your password, not even with someone you trust, like a family member or bank employee – and we’ll never ask you for it either!

Did you know? An 8-character password can be cracked in seconds, no matter how many symbols, numbers or mixed capitalization you use. A complex 16-character password takes much, much longer to crack – and hackers don’t have that kind of time!

Can you create a strong password? The University of Illinois Chicago has developed a Password Meter* to challenge your password prowess!

*This application is neither perfect nor foolproof and should only be utilized as a loose guide in determining methods for improving the password creation process.