Everyone has passwords, often needed everywhere in our digital life. But how secure are your passwords?
Stop, stop, stop…. What do you mean with secure? is not a password alone good enough?
No, if you take a look at the table you can see how fast a hacker can figure out your password depending on length and complexity (numbers, special symbols etc)
sec = seconds
min = minutes
k = thousend (1 000)
m = million (1 000 000)
bn = billion (1 000 000 000)
tn = trillion (1 000 000 000 000)
qd = quadrillion (1 000 000 000 000 000)
Ahh, ok… But then I am good. I just make a long complex password and then it is safe to use everywhere.
Yes… no, wait what!? What do you mean with everywhere
I understand how you think but no, you can´t. Take a look at the next table. This is what it looks like if you use simple words or/and reuse the password in different sites.
I mean that now when it is long and complex, no one can crack it and therefore it is safe to use everywhere.
No definitely not, I would advise you to have a password manager.
A password manager allows you to only remember one password, the one to the password manager. All other passwords will the password manager store for you and you can look them up when needed.
Whats a password manager?
But…but… ok then… but how shall I be able to remember everything? Write it down?
Ok, I think i understand, we are done now right?
Soon, It is also important to know that the time to crack the passwords always gets shorter and shorter, compare this table from 2020 with the one from 2023. It is just three years difference.
Where are you going with this?
Except from the need to change the password regularly, It is strongly advisable to use multi-factor authentication. If you look below I will demonstrate what it is about.
Correct
And to be more on the safe side i should use Multi-factor authentication, or as you call it MFA? this to give another layer of complexity that is harder to crack.
Ok, So if I have understood it correctly... I need more complex passwords and to avoid the need to remember them all and not write them down I should use a password manager.
Exactly, know you getting it!
Pfu... ok that was a lot of information... I think I need to lay down for a while...
For more information about the password tables see Hive Systems: Cybersecurity that's approachable.
The people behind The Security Dragon have combined 25+ years of experience within the security sector.
