Password strength checkers are tools that evaluate the strength of digital passwords. They assess the password's resilience to being guessed outright or cracked by cybercriminals using computer-automated hacking tools. When a user creates a password, the security checker ranks its effectiveness using sophisticated algorithms and displays the result to the user.
Factors of Password Strength Checkers:
Password strength checkers typically use a variety of factors to assess a password's strength, including:
- Length: Longer passwords are generally stronger than shorter passwords.
- Complexity: Passwords that use a variety of characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, are generally stronger than passwords that use only a few characters or that only use letters.
- Uniqueness: Passwords that are unique to each account are generally stronger than passwords that are reused across multiple accounts.
Password strength checkers can be a valuable tool for helping users create stronger passwords. However, it is important to note that password-strength checkers are not perfect. They can only provide a general assessment of a password's strength, and they cannot guarantee that a password will not be cracked by a determined attacker.
Here are some of the best password strength checkers available:
- Have I Been Pwned? This website allows you to check if your email address has been compromised in a data breach. It also includes a password strength checker that uses a variety of factors to assess a password's strength.
- Microsoft Security Checkup: This tool from Microsoft allows you to check the security of your passwords as well as other aspects of your online security.
- LastPass Password Checker: This tool from LastPass allows you to check the strength of your passwords and generate new, strong passwords.
When using a password strength checker, it is important to follow these tips:
- Enter your password exactly as you use it on the website or app. The checker will not be able to assess the strength of your password if you enter it incorrectly.
- Be honest about the strength of your password. If you are not sure how strong your password is, it is better to err on the side of caution and choose a stronger password.
- Use the checker regularly to update your passwords. Passwords can become weak over time, so it is important to use the checker regularly to make sure your passwords are still strong.
By following these tips, you can use a password strength checker to help you create and maintain strong passwords that will help protect your online accounts.