A strong password is your best defense against account takeover. Learn why a secure password matters, how many characters it should use, which methods work best, how to use a password manager, and how to secure your Wi-Fi with a robust key.
16.10.2025 | Reading time: 4 minutes
For everyday accounts, 12–16 characters is a solid baseline. For sensitive access (email, banking, admin portals, password manager), aim for 16–20+.
Scenario | Minimum length | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Standard accounts | 12–16 | Unique and random |
Email, primary ID | 16–20+ | Turn on MFA |
Banking, admin, cloud console | 16–24+ | Strong and exclusive |
Home Wi-Fi (WPA2/WPA3) | 16–20+ | Fully random, no words |
There’re two strong options you can use together:
Trust the principles over online checkers. What matters is length, uniqueness, randomness, and MFA. If you test, use dummy passwords, never your real one.
Managers create long, unique passwords and store them encrypted. They sync across devices, flag breaches, and help rotate compromised credentials.
Feature | Why it matters |
|---|---|
Random generator | High entropy with minimal effort |
End-to-end encryption | Protection on every device |
MFA and device binding | Safety if a device is lost |
Security audit and breach alerts | Faster incident response |
Stolen passwords lead to account takeover, identity theft, and financial loss. Long, unique passwords limit risk even if one service is breached. MFA reduces residual risk further.
Use WPA3 where possible (or WPA2-AES), a very long random key (16–20+), disable WPS, change default router passwords, keep firmware updated, and isolate an IoT guest network.
Use your manager’s generator, 16–20+ characters, random and unique, or a long passphrase.
Yes, with a strong master password, MFA, and regular updates.
At least 12, ideally 16–20+ for important accounts and Wi-Fi.
WPA3, 16–20+ random characters, WPS off, change router password, keep firmware current.
Random generator or long passphrase, always with MFA
