A strong password serves as a critical first line of defense in cybersecurity, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access to personal and professional online accounts. It is a unique, complex combination of characters—uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols—that is difficult for others to guess or for automated tools to crack.

What is a strong password?

A strong password typically comprises a minimum of 12-16 characters, although longer is generally better. It incorporates a diverse mix of:

• Uppercase letters (A-Z)
• Lowercase letters (a-z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special symbols (!@#$%^&*)

Crucially, a strong password avoids predictable patterns, personal information, dictionary words, and sequences. The goal is to create a password that is complex and random enough to deter automated cracking tools, yet ideally memorable through techniques like passphrases or the use of a reliable password manager.

Why are strong passwords important?

Strong passwords are essential because they protect against common hacking techniques, including:

• Brute-force attacks: Automated attempts to guess passwords by trying every possible combination
• Dictionary attacks: Using common words and phrases to crack passwords
• Credential stuffing: Using leaked username/password combinations from data breaches

According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), weak passwords remain one of the leading causes of security breaches.

How to create a strong password?

Follow these expert-recommended guidelines from organizations like OWASP and the SANS Institute:

1. Use at least 12-16 characters — longer passwords are exponentially harder to crack
2. Mix character types — combine uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
3. Avoid personal information — never use birthdays, names, or pet names
4. Skip dictionary words — common words are easily guessed
5. Consider passphrases — string together random words with modifications

Strong password examples

Here are examples of strong passwords and the logic behind them:

• z!P9qRnS4x@Vb7 — A random string mixing all character types, making it virtually impossible to guess
• MyBlueBikeRidesFast@2024! — A passphrase approach that's memorable yet complex, combining words with numbers and symbols

When should I create a strong password?

You should create a strong password whenever you:

• Set up a new online account (email, banking, social media)
• Access sensitive work systems or databases
• Receive notification of a data breach affecting your accounts
• Haven't updated your passwords in the past 6-12 months
• Currently use the same password across multiple sites

Which strong password generator is best?

Password generators eliminate human bias and create truly random passwords. Recommended options include:

• Built-in browser generators — Chrome, Firefox, and Safari offer integrated password generation
• Password managers — Tools like 1Password, Bitwarden, and LastPass generate and securely store passwords
• Offline generators — For maximum security, some users prefer offline tools that don't transmit data

Microsoft Security Best Practices and other industry leaders recommend using a reputable password manager to generate, store, and auto-fill strong, unique passwords for every account.