Random Password Generator

Password :

A password is typically a string of characters that may include letters, numbers, and symbols that can be used to access something, typically an account, and prevent others from accessing it. In today's Internet age, it is likely that most people have experience with having a password for some kind of account. As such, it is important to understand how to construct a strong password (or use a password generator) as well as to understand how to take measures to safeguard the password.

The Random password generator on this website provides the user with the option to exclude ambiguous characters. This includes characters like the letters "L" and "I" which may be difficult to distinguish on a computer. This is particularly relevant when using a random password generator. An upper-case "i" can be difficult to distinguish from a lower-case "L" or the number 1 in some cases. Confusion arising from ambiguous characters could potentially lock the user out of their own account. Note however, that excluding characters generally lowers the potential strength of a password.

Password entropy:

The password generator also determines the password entropy, measured in bits. The higher the entropy, the more difficult it will be for the password to be guessed. In the context of a brute force search (where every possibility is tested), a password entropy of 100 bits would require 2¹⁰⁰ attempts for all possibilities to be exhausted. On average however, about half of these possibilities would need to be exhausted before the correct one is found in a brute force search.

Password strength:

Password strength is a measure of how effective a password is against being guessed or against brute-force attacks. Although it varies, usually, password strength is an estimate of how many trials would be required on average for someone to successfully guess the password. This is affected by the length, complexity, and unpredictability of the password. For example, if a password involves a person's name, birthday, or other personal information that typically would not be very difficult to find out, the password would likely make for a weak password.

Aside from the actual password, proper security controls play a significant role in reducing the risk of a security breach. Security controls include safeguards that are in place to detect, avoid, or minimize security risks. This includes controls such as two-step authentication for your password, or locking the account for a period of time after a given number of failed attempts.