Strong passwords remain one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your accounts — but most people still get them wrong.
And it’s not your fault. For years, the internet has pushed outdated advice like “Use at least one symbol and change your password every 90 days.”
Today’s best practices are different, easier, and far more secure.
This guide shows you how to create truly strong passwords, why certain techniques matter, and includes real examples you can learn from (but not reuse).
Why Most Password Advice Is Outdated
A few years ago, the old rules told you to:
- add a symbol
- replace letters with numbers
- change passwords often
Attackers adapted quickly. They now use massive databases and password-cracking tools that know every predictable trick.
This means passwords like:
P@ssw0rd!Admin123!Summer2024!
…are cracked in seconds.
Modern security focuses on:
- length over complexity
- true randomness
- avoiding patterns
- unique passwords per account
Let's break it down.
What Actually Makes a Password Strong?
1. Length
The biggest factor by far.
- 12 characters = decent
- 16 characters = strong
- 20+ characters = very strong
Every extra character exponentially increases entropy (randomness).
2. Randomness
Attackers use dictionaries of billions of known passwords and variations.
Strong passwords aren’t based on:
- names
- dates
- pop culture references
- keyboard patterns
- “clever” substitutions (
o → 0,a → @, etc.)
Randomness beats creativity every time.
3. Unique for Every Account
If one service is breached, reused passwords expose all your accounts.
Password managers make this easy — generate once, store securely, forget forever.
Strong Password Examples
These samples illustrate what secure patterns look like — but you should not reuse them directly.
High-security random passwords
K9um!Aqz3F$wT7pX
nE4^qL9*rU1s#V0d
Xy7!Dk2%Pm5@Qr8H
Long-format secure passwords
hJ7p#qzM82rL@5tNwK!a4
vT1m$Gk9xB3q@7RfH2p#y
Secure passphrases
Passphrases are easier to remember when needed:
mango-laser-duck-satellite
silent-coffee-river-horizon
orbit-forest-velvet-capsule
A passphrase of 4-5 random words is often stronger than a short “complex” password.
What Weak Passwords Look Like
Avoid anything similar to:
- words with predictable modifications
- keyboard sequences
- short + symbol + number patterns
Examples attackers crack instantly:
Dragon123!
Football2025!
Qwerty!@#
Password123!
NameBirthyear!
These appear in almost every breach dataset.
Understanding Password Entropy (Simple Explanation)
Entropy measures how unpredictable your password is.
- 40 bits = weak
- 60 bits = acceptable
- 80+ bits = strong
- 100+ bits = extremely strong
A 16+ character random password usually exceeds 100 bits of entropy.
You don’t need math — just follow:
- Long
- Random
- Unique
The Easiest Way to Generate Strong Passwords
Modern browsers include secure cryptographic APIs (window.crypto) that create randomness computers cannot guess.
Tools like our Free Password Generator run entirely in your browser:
- no logins
- no data stored
- nothing sent to any server
This is the safest way to create passwords online.
Should You Memorize Your Passwords?
Only memorize one thing:
Your password manager's master password
Everything else can be random and stored securely.
If you try to memorize all passwords manually, you will inevitably reuse patterns — which lowers security dramatically.
Secure Password Checklist
Before creating your next password, make sure it is:
- 16+ characters long
- randomly generated
- never reused
- stored in a password manager
- not based on personal info
- not based on patterns or substitutions
If all the above are true, your password is already stronger than ~99.9% of those found in breach databases.
Try It Yourself: Generate a Strong Password
Click here to generate a secure, random password instantly — directly in your browser. No data stored, no tracking.
Final Thoughts
Creating strong passwords doesn’t need to be complicated.
With modern tools and a few simple principles, you can protect your accounts far better than outdated rules ever suggested.
Use long, random, unique passwords — and let software handle the rest.