With data breaches becoming increasingly common, many people wonder if their passwords are strong enough to protect their sensitive information. A 15-character password may seem long, but is it truly enough in today’s digital landscape? This article examines the complex issue of password security in depth.
How Passwords Are Cracked
To understand if a 15-character password is sufficient, you first need to know how passwords are cracked. Hackers use two main methods: guessing and brute force attacks.
Guessing Passwords
Many people use easy-to-guess passwords based on names, dictionary words, or common number sequences. Hackers take advantage of this by using password guessing software that runs through huge lists of potential passwords. Even a 15-character password could be vulnerable if it’s based on a predictable pattern.
Some ways hackers guess passwords:
- Trying variants of the username or company name
- Testing commonly used number sequences like 123456
- Checking dictionary words and names
- Trying combinations of the above methods
Brute Force Attacks
With brute force attacks, password cracking software systematically tries every possible password combination until it finds the correct one. Shorter passwords fall quickly to these types of attacks. But even longer passwords are vulnerable if hackers have enough computing power.
15 characters may seem long, but brute force software can run through all possible 15-character password combinations surprisingly quickly with the right equipment.
Password Length Recommendations
Considering how passwords are cracked, what length do cybersecurity experts actually recommend?
Minimum of 8-10 Characters
For years, the standard recommendation was to use a password with a minimum of 8 characters, combining upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Many online services still only require 8-character passwords. But according to cybersecurity experts, 8 to 10 characters is no longer enough.
12 Characters or More
Cybersecurity experts now recommend using 12 characters or more for your passwords, especially for important accounts like email, banking, and work logins.
12 characters strikes a better balance between security and convenience compared to shorter passwords. It provides reasonable protection from brute force attacks while still being manageable to remember and type regularly.
15 Characters for Maximum Security
For accounts containing highly sensitive data, cybersecurity experts often recommend using passwords with 15 characters or more.
At this length, even a password made up of random dictionary words provides strong protection that can withstand most brute force attacks.
15 characters is cumbersome for everyday use. But for securing sensitive data from determined hackers, it provides an added layer of protection.
20+ Characters for Extremely Sensitive Data
For protecting extremely confidential data from hackers with a lot of computing resources, some experts suggest using passwords with 20 characters or more.
At this length, the number of possible combinations becomes enormous, making successful brute force cracking extremely unlikely. But such long passwords are frustrating to use on a daily basis.
20+ character passwords are only practical for rare logins, like an encrypted hard drive containing highly sensitive documents. For typical website and application passwords, they are excessive.
Do Password Complexity Rules Help?
Many online services enforce password complexity rules, requiring a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. But do these rules really improve security for longer passwords?
Useful Up to 9 Characters
For short passwords under 9 characters, complexity requirements do make them harder to crack. At this length, there aren’t enough total possibilities to rely on length alone. Adding complexity expands the potential combinations hackers must try.
Minimal Benefit Beyond 10 Characters
However, for passwords 10 characters and over, complexity rules provide minimal additional security. At this length, even passwords using only lowercase letters have enough total combinations to resist most brute force attacks.
Complexity may make an 11-character password slightly tougher to crack than a basic 11-character all-lowercase password. But the difference is small compared to simply increasing the length.
Prioritize Length Over Complexity
When creating longer passwords of 12, 15, or 20+ characters, you’re better off prioritizing length over complexity. A 20-character password using just lowercase letters is far more secure than a 12-character password with lots of complexity.
Complexity does help guard against passwords being guessed. But random character substitutions like “p@ssw0rd” are not as strong as they seem against brute force attacks.
Common Password Myths and Mistakes
People have many misconceptions about creating secure passwords. Avoid these common myths and mistakes:
Word or Name with Numbers
Simply appending numbers like “password123” or “johnson90210” is easy to remember. But this pattern is incredibly common and gives hackers a predictable formula to target.
Personal Info
Using personal information like birthdays or anniversaries seems unique to you. But this info is often easy for others to find out or guess.
Keyboard Patterns
Using keyboard patterns like “qwerty” or “asdflkj” is an easy way to remember a password. Unfortunately, hackers are very familiar with these types of patterns.
Reusing Passwords
Using the same password across many accounts is very risky. If it’s compromised in one place, hackers can access all your other accounts with that password.
Writing Down Passwords
Physically writing down passwords seems like a good way to remember complicated ones. But anyone who gains access can easily steal written passwords.
Not Changing Passwords
Never changing your password allows hackers unlimited time to crack it. Regularly changing passwords limits this exposure.
How to Create a Strong 15-Character Password
If you want to use a 15-character password for sensitive accounts, follow these tips to maximize security:
Use Randomly Generated Passwords
The most secure 15-character passwords are randomly generated by password manager software, containing a completely random sequence of letters, numbers and symbols that cannot be guessed or cracked.
However, randomly generated passwords are impossible for humans to remember. So you end up relying completely on your password manager.
Use Diceware Passphrases
An alternative is using the diceware method to generate a lengthy passphrase by combining randomly selected dictionary words.
For example: “correcthorsebatterystaple” or “driftingiambicpentameter”
Diceware passphrases are easy to remember. But ensure no individual words relate to you to avoid guesses based on personal info.
Modify a Memorable Phrase
You can start with a memorable phrase or quotation, and modify it to create a more secure password.
For example, convert “Wherever you go, go with all your heart” to something like: “Wh3r3veRyou90,g0witHa11yourh3@rt”
This method allows you to remember the base phrase, but the modifications make it impossible to guess.
Use a Password Manager
To avoid having to memorize secure 15+ character passwords, use a password manager like LastPass or 1Password. These tools generate and store unique passwords for all your sites.
The only password you need to remember is your master password for the manager itself. Enable two-factor authentication for your master password to maximize security.
Establishing Better Password Habits
In addition to using more lengthy passwords for important accounts, establish these habits for better password security overall:
- Use a unique password for every account, never reusing passwords between sites.
- Change passwords periodically, at least every 90 days for sensitive accounts.
- Consider using a password manager to generate and store unique passwords.
- Use two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever available to add an additional layer of security beyond passwords alone.
- Monitor accounts for any suspicious activity that could indicate a compromised password.
- Never share passwords over email or other unsecured channels.
The Bottom Line
Is a 15-character password enough to keep your data secure? For highly sensitive accounts, 15+ characters provides strong protection that can withstand most brute force attacks. But no password is unbreakable given enough time and computing power.
The longer your password, the more secure it becomes. But excessive password length causes usability issues. Finding the right balance requires weighing the sensitivity of your data against the convenience of entering a password regularly.
Rather than relying on a single super-long password alone, use strong unique passwords for each account, enable two-factor authentication wherever possible, and practice good password hygiene and data security habits. With the right overall approach, you can achieve robust protection for your sensitive personal and work data.
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