Why do your passwords need to include letters, numbers, and special characters? The short and simple answer is that they make your passwords harder to crack. Our password generator meets (and exceeds) this criteria. It must also be at least 12 characters long.įYI: Most online accounts require passwords to be at least eight characters long, and with at least one uppercase and lowercase letter, a number, and a special character. Your randomly-generated password should be an alphanumeric string with a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. So What Is A Secure Password?Īs mentioned, a secure password is often one that is generated randomly. We also found that around 20-percent use easy-to-guess password components such as their names, spouse’s names, children’s names, years of birth, and common phrases. That is not secure, as anyone who is in possession of your old password - for example, from a data breach - can guess your new password. Unfortunately, our research on America’s password habits shows that 57-percent still use slightly modified old passwords as their current passwords. With identity theft and online fraud on the rise, 1 that’s a benefit you wouldn’t want to miss out on. It prevents them from taking over important accounts, such as emails, or getting personal and payment information from online shopping accounts such as Amazon. The most obvious advantage is that cybercriminals cannot easily hack your online accounts.

Using only strong passwords can have a huge positive impact on your digital wellbeing. A minimum of one special character (e.g.We created this random password generator tool to help you create strong random passwords that meet the criteria of most websites. And often, the most secure password is one that is random. A secure password is your first line of defense against unwarranted access to your online accounts, digital files, and personal information.

Symantec secure password generator