Can’t remember complex passwords? FBI recommends using simple long passwords

Weak passwords are an important threat to today’s network security. Many users use very simple digital passwords or common passwords that can be easily guessed.

This kind of password is too easy to be cracked or guessed, which is also an important reason why many network devices or website accounts are invaded by attackers.

It is commonplace to suggest that users change high-strength passwords, no matter how many security agencies suggest that some users still do not want to use strong passwords because it is not easy to remember.

“Linux password file”by Christiaan Colen is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

So the FBI recently issued a new proposal: “Instead of using a short, complex password that is hard to remember, consider using a longer passphrase. This involves combining multiple words into a long string of at least 15 characters. The extra length of a passphrase makes it harder to crack while also making it easier for you to remember.”

Simple passwords that are easy to be cracked and guessed are basically insecure, but cracking takes time and guessing depends solely on the luck of the hacker or whether the dictionary is strong enough.

However, each increase in the length of the password doubles the time it takes for a hacker to crack. At the same time, it also increases the difficulty if you want to guess directly.

So the FBI’s new proposal is that if you really don’t want to use complex passwords, then it is better to increase your simple password by a few more bits to improve security.

For example, the password used by many users is 123456 or password. If you can add different numbers after 123456, you can increase the password strength.

Of course, if you can add letters or punctuation before and after a purely digital password, then the strength of the password will be significantly increased, making it longer for hackers to crack.

Although this type of password is still not strong enough, it is far more secure than a pure digital password, so if you really don’t want to use complex passwords then that’s it.