What Makes a Strong Password (and How to Generate One)
Length beats complexity, reuse is the real danger, and a password manager changes everything. A plain-English guide to passwords that actually hold up.
Most password advice is outdated. Swapping an 'a' for an '@' does little against modern cracking. What actually matters is simpler than the old rules suggested — and easier to get right.
Length beats complexity
Every extra character multiplies the number of guesses an attacker must make. A long random password is exponentially harder to crack than a short one padded with a few symbols. Aim for at least 16 characters wherever a site allows it.
Never reuse a password
The biggest real-world risk isn't cracking — it's reuse. When one site is breached, attackers try that same email-and-password combo everywhere else. A unique password per account means a single breach can't cascade.
- Use a different password for every account.
- Make each one long and random — don't try to memorise them.
- Store them in a password manager and turn on two-factor authentication.
Generate strong passwords locally
Our password generator creates long, random passwords with adjustable length and character sets. They're generated on your device and never transmitted anywhere.
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