The Uncomfortable Truth About Most Passwords
If your password is under 10 characters, uses a word from the dictionary, or contains predictable substitutions like @ for a or 3 for e — it is almost certainly crackable in seconds to minutes using modern tools.
A 2024 analysis by NordPass found that the most common passwords worldwide still include 123456, password, and qwerty. These can be cracked in under a second. But even less obvious choices like "Summer2024!" can be broken in under an hour with modern hardware.
The good news: creating a genuinely strong password takes about 30 seconds, and you can do it right now for free.
What Actually Makes a Password Strong?
Security researchers define password strength by one metric above all else: entropy. Entropy measures the unpredictability of a password — specifically how many possible combinations an attacker would need to try to guess it. The higher the entropy, the longer it takes to crack.
Four factors determine entropy:
Length — This is the most important factor. Every additional character multiplies the number of possible combinations exponentially. A 12-character password is not twice as hard to crack as a 6-character one — it is roughly 309 million times harder. Aim for at least 14 characters.
Character variety — Using uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols expands the pool of possible characters per position. A password using only lowercase letters (26 options per character) is far weaker than one using all four types (95 options per character).
Randomness — Predictable patterns destroy entropy. Passwords like "P@ssw0rd" or "Tr0ub4dor" look complex but follow patterns that password-cracking tools know to try first. True randomness means no patterns — even patterns you think are clever.
Uniqueness — A strong password used across multiple accounts is not truly strong. If any one of those sites suffers a data breach, all your accounts become vulnerable. Every account must have its own unique password.
Passwords That Feel Strong But Are Not
These are among the most common false-security patterns:
- Substituting letters with numbers or symbols — L3tM3In, P@ssw0rd. Password crackers test these substitutions automatically.
- Adding numbers at the end — Password1, Admin2024. The number suffix is one of the first patterns cracked.
- Using personal information — Your name, birthday, pet's name, favourite team. These can often be guessed or researched from your social media.
- Short passwords with maximum complexity — Ab1! is a 4-character password. It looks complex but has only 81,450,625 possible combinations — crackable in milliseconds.
- Keyboard walks — qwerty, asdfgh, 1qaz2wsx. These are all in standard cracking dictionaries.
How to Generate a Strong Password Using TrendPro
The fastest and most reliable way to create a strong password is to use a random generator. Here is the exact process with our free Password Generator:
Step 1: Open the Password Generator at trendproservices.co.uk/tools/password-generator.
Step 2: Set the length to at least 16 characters. 20+ characters is ideal for sensitive accounts like email and banking.
Step 3: Enable all four character types: uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols.
Step 4: Set the count to generate several options at once — you can choose the one that is most convenient to handle.
Step 5: Click Generate Passwords. Each result is cryptographically random — no patterns, no dictionary words.
Step 6: Copy the generated password and immediately save it in your password manager before you forget it.
You can also test any existing password using our Password Strength Checker at trendproservices.co.uk/tools/password-strength-checker. It gives you a score out of 100, an estimated crack time, and specific improvement suggestions.
The Passphrase Method — Strong and Memorable
If you need a password you can actually type from memory (for your computer login or password manager master password), consider a passphrase instead of a random string.
A passphrase is a sequence of 4-6 random, unrelated words: for example, "correct horse battery staple" or "purple monkey dishwasher lamp cloud". These are:
- Long (4 words = typically 20-30 characters)
- High entropy (there are trillions of possible 4-word combinations)
- Genuinely memorable
- Easy to type without errors
The key word is random. Do not choose words that relate to each other or to your life. Pick them from different categories — a colour, an animal, an object, a place, an action. The randomness is what makes it strong.
You Need a Password Manager
The biggest obstacle to strong passwords is that humans cannot remember 50+ unique random strings. The solution is a password manager — software that stores all your passwords in an encrypted vault secured by one master password.
Recommended options:
Free: Bitwarden — open source, fully featured, works on all devices and browsers. Genuinely the best free option available.
Paid: 1Password or Dashlane — additional features like travel mode, data breach monitoring and family sharing.
With a password manager, you only need to remember one strong master password. Every other account gets a unique randomly generated password that you never need to type or remember.
What to Do Right Now
If you have been putting off improving your passwords, here is a 15-minute action plan:
- Download and set up Bitwarden (free)
- Create a strong master password using the passphrase method above
- Use our Password Generator to create new passwords for your top 5 most important accounts: email, banking, social media, shopping, work
- Update those accounts with the new passwords and save them in Bitwarden
- Enable two-factor authentication on your email account
These five steps protect you against the vast majority of account compromise attacks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a password be in 2026? Minimum 12 characters for low-stakes accounts, 16+ for important accounts (email, banking, work), and 20+ for your password manager master password. Length is the single most important factor — a random 20-character lowercase-only password is stronger than a complex 8-character one.
Should I change my passwords regularly? Current security guidance from NIST (the US National Institute of Standards and Technology) has changed: you should only change passwords when there is reason to believe they have been compromised — not on a fixed schedule. Forcing regular changes often leads to weaker passwords (Password1 becomes Password2) rather than stronger ones.
Is it safe to save passwords in my browser? Browser-saved passwords are convenient but less secure than a dedicated password manager. They can be accessed by malware, are not encrypted as robustly, and do not work across all browsers and devices. Use a dedicated password manager like Bitwarden instead.
What is two-factor authentication and do I need it? Two-factor authentication (2FA) requires a second proof of identity beyond your password — usually a code from an app like Google Authenticator. Even if your password is stolen, 2FA prevents the attacker from logging in. Enable it on every account that supports it, especially email.
What should I do if I think my password has been breached? Change it immediately on the affected site and on any other site where you used the same password. Check haveibeenpwned.com to see if your email has appeared in known data breaches. Then use our Password Generator to create unique replacements.