Designing strong passwords
Password generators create high-entropy strings so accounts remain resilient against brute-force attacks and credential stuffing.
Entropy fundamentals
Each additional character multiplies the search space, so length matters more than clever substitutions.
Mixing uppercase, lowercase, digits, and symbols increases entropy even further.
Historial context
Early password policies encouraged memorable words with substitutions (P@ssw0rd), but attackers adapted quickly.
Modern guidance from NIST and OWASP now recommends random passphrases or generated strings stored in managers.
When generators shine
They remove bias—humans tend to reuse patterns—which keeps secrets unique across services.
Teams can issue temporary credentials for contractors without exposing internal naming schemes.
Typical uses
- Creating vault entries in password managers
- Provisioning API keys, service accounts, or database users
- Resetting admin credentials after an incident
- Generating Wi-Fi or guest network passwords on demand
Best practices
- Aim for at least 16 characters for general accounts and 24+ for privileged ones
- Avoid copying passwords into plain-text documents; rely on clipboard clearing or password managers
- Rotate keys only when necessary to minimize operational risk
- Combine strong passwords with MFA for meaningful defense-in-depth