In an increasingly digitized world, protecting your private information with passwords is essential. This provides an additional gate between your information and hackers. However, password hacking, or an unknown person trying to guess your password with algorithms, is becoming more common.
You may wonder how much time it takes to crack your password, and the answer is just 4 seconds. Due to weak passwords, Cyber threats and data breaches are becoming commonplace. Still, there are several ways to protect yourself against password cracking, making it harder for cyber criminals to guess your password quickly.
How Much Time It Takes to Crack Your Password
The time it takes to crack your password depends on its length and complexity. For example, a password containing up to 10 characters consisting of only numbers can be cracked in almost no time. A password that contains numbers, upper and lowercase letters, and symbols but is six characters long can take just 5 seconds. What’s shocking is that adding just three more characters can bump up the time it takes to crack to 3 weeks.
Some recommend that individuals and businesses have at least 16-character passwords, use a random string of mixed case letters, numbers, and symbols, or a passphrase that uses 4-7 random words. Experts suggest this strong password could take up to a trillion years to crack.
Factors That Impact Password Strength
Most importantly, individuals should use unique passwords between different accounts. Individuals get passwords hacked from social media accounts 29% of the time, from email accounts 15% of the time, and online shopping 8% of the time.
What accounts for these password hacks are weak passwords. Simply increasing character count, adding symbols, and a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters can exponentially decrease the chances of someone cracking your password.
Using a strong password should be a standard safety protocol for individuals and businesses everywhere to maintain a safe online presence.
Steps to Create a More Secure Password
It’s suggested that individuals use a mix of numbers, symbols, and different case letters to create a strong password. Password length should ideally be 11 or more characters, creating a password that would take too long for cybercriminals to hack.
Avoid simple dictionary words in your password, as they are easier for algorithms to guess. Additionally, using personal information or repeated characters can put your password at a higher risk of being hacked, as online criminals may have access to this knowledge, like birthdays, last names, or local sports teams.
Use unique passwords for different sites, ensuring that if one password is breached, all of your sites cannot be hacked as well.
Additional Layers of Protection
Enhancing private data security may include using multi-factor authentication, which requires users to provide at least one additional verification from another account or device to gain access to the website. This assures that the criminal cannot access your private information if your password has been hacked unless it has been authorized on another device or account.
Using a password manager may be beneficial if it’s hard to keep track of all the passwords required in a digital world. Not only does the manager relieve you of memorizing all your passwords, but it can also securely generate strong passwords for websites, ensuring you are safe when creating a new account.
Staying Secure with Strong Passwords
It’s essential to understand how little time it takes to crack a password. This knowledge can improve your personal security habits. Use these password security tips to avoid falling victim to cyber criminals and password cracking.