Password Security by Length
Understanding the dramatic security differences between password lengths helps illustrate why 16 characters is the optimal choice:
- 8 Character Password - 95^8 = 6.6 quadrillion combinations (crackable in days/weeks)
- 12 Character Password - 95^12 = 5.4 × 10^23 combinations (crackable in years)
- 16 Character Password - 95^16 = 4.4 × 10^31 combinations (billions of years to crack)
- 20 Character Password - 95^20 = 3.6 × 10^39 combinations (overkill for most purposes)
Why 16 Characters is the Sweet Spot
While longer passwords provide more security, 16 characters represents the optimal balance between security and practicality:
- Maximum Practical Security - Provides more protection than any realistic threat requires
- Password Manager Friendly - Easy to store and manage in password management systems
- System Compatibility - Works with virtually all websites and applications
- Future-Proof - Resistant to advances in computing power and cracking techniques
Real-World Cracking Time Estimates
Based on current technology and assuming 100 billion password attempts per second:
- 8 characters: Maximum 33 days
- 12 characters: Maximum 171 million years
- 16 characters: Maximum 1.4 × 10^21 years (longer than the universe has existed)
This is why security experts universally recommend 16 character passwords for critical accounts like banking, email, and business systems.