How Long Does It Take to Crack a Password?

We’ve been thinking about passwords and password security a lot lately here at Clarity, and according to a recent study conducted by cybersecurity firm Hive, your password might not be as strong as you think.

Pop quiz: How long do you think it would take an average hacker to figure out an 8-character password that used a combination letters, numbers, and even symbols?

  • 8 hours
  • 3 days
  • 5 minutes
  • 400 seconds
  • Never

Ready for the answer?

And the answer is…..8 hours!

That’s right – even with a deceptive combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, those 8-character passwords probably wouldn’t stand a chance against a determined hacker.

So how can you keep your digital spaces safe and secure? The key is in length. According to that same study by Hive, a 13-character combination of letters, numbers, and symbols would take the average hacker 2 million years to crack.

The longer your password, the less likely you are to be at risk for cybersecurity threats.

What are you waiting for? Go update your passwords!

Want to learn more? Head over to the Clarity blog.

 

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