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PlanetMagpie Password Strength Tester

Everyone wants their computer protected from viruses and hackers. However, there's a fine line between a strong password and one that's easy to remember.

Why? If your IT department requires passwords that are very strong, employees are likely to write it down on a Post-It note and stick it near their computer.  Defeating the whole purpose!

A password that's very easy to remember is also easy to guess. If someone breaks into the network, they can break an easy password. And steal every bit of data on your computer.

Our Password Strength Tester will tell you how good a password is in real-time. Enter a word or phrase in the text box to check yours.

If it's not strong enough, add more characters. The response will revise itself as you type.

How Do I Make Better Passwords?

Here are some ways to strengthen your password with more characters, and still keep it easy enough for you to remember.

1. Start with a word or phrase you'll remember.
2. Substitute numbers for letters and vice versa. (o instead of 0, 1 instead of L, 3 instead of E, etc.)
3. Add spaces.  Make it into a phrase (it doesn't have to make sense).
4. You could also try substituting words for numbers ("one," "two," "three"...)
5. Add a number or symbol before & after the password.
6. If you're using more than one word, add in special characters (!@#$%/<>) as a space.

This example demonstrates how a simple word can be made into a strong password.

• mon -- Poor
• monday -- Weak
• m0nday -- Average
• M0nday Morning -- Strong
• M0nD@y Morning! -- Super

While that may look very confusing, you can see how it's not that difficult to memorize. So long as you remember the original word or phrase, you can recall the changes that make it into a strong password.

Finally, remember that NO password is unbreakable forever. Change your password at least every 6 months (every 3 is better).

NOTE: The Password Strength Tester does NOT record any information. Anything you enter is wiped out the second you leave the website. Feel free to use it whenever you want, safely.