Password Strength: Low | |
|---|---|
Password Strength: Medium | |
Password Strength: Strong | |
Password Strength: Super Strong | |
Contains 8 or More CharactersImprove your score by using more characters  Length = Strength. No password should be fewer than eight characters; using 11-20 characters is better. | |
Contains Lowercase Letters (a-z)Improve your score by using multiple lowercase letters Lowercase letters (a-z) make hacking that much harder, but not if you only use these letters. Never use them in sequential order (def, xyz). Create passwords with a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols. | |
Contains Uppercase Letters (A-Z)Improve your score by using multiple uppercase letters Using uppercase letters (A-Z) makes hacking that much harder, but not if you only use these letters. Never put your letters in sequential order (ABC, XYZ). Create passwords with a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols. | |
Contains Numbers (0-9)Improve your score by using multiple numbers Adding numbers (0-9) is important, but sequential numbers (123, 987) are easy to guess. Mix them up, or put them in with letters and symbols to make a more difficult password. | |
Contains Symbols (@ # $ & !)Improve your score by using multiple symbols All these symbols can typically be used in your passwords (when allowed by the site) to help create a stronger password. | |
Your password needs to be much stronger. Follow the tips on the right to create a stronger password. Roll over items where you received an 
for quick tips on creating a stronger password.
Your password is almost there. Roll over where you received an to see tips on how you can strengthen your password. For additional help, follow the tips on the right.
You've created a solid password. Roll over items where you have an to make your password even tougher. If you don't have any X's, great! You can always make your password stronger by following the tips on the right. And remember to protect your password!
Pat yourself on the back; you've created an extremely tough password! And remember to protect your password.
How Do I Use This Tool?
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Type your password in the entry field. The Password Strength Analyzer will automatically calculate the strength of your password. Wait until you see
or 
icons before you look for your final password rating. Keep trying until you receive a "Strong" or "Super Strong" rating for your password. -
Roll over the items in the checklist to see tips about making each item stronger.
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You can also find even more tips on creating and maintaining strong passwords and on the right-hand side of this tool.
The password you enter will not be saved or stored by McAfee. The McAfee Password Strength Analyzer is intended only as an aid for creating a stronger password. This tool is not intended to guarantee personal security or the security of the websites where the password is used.
Give your current password a try, or follow our do's and don'ts to create and test your new one.
Do's
- Do use at least eight characters in your password. Remember, the more the merrier.
- Do use a good variety of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Do avoid consecutive keyboard combinations— such as qwerty or asdfg.
- Do try to make a password that is hard to guess, but easy to remember. See "Make Them Memorable" for tips on how to do this.
Don'ts
- Don't use personal information such as your name, age, birth date, child's name, pet's name, or favorite color/song, etc.
- Don't use dictionary words, slang terms, common misspellings, or words spelled backward.
- Don't use more than three consecutive characters of one type—5386 is not okay, 238# is okay.
Passwords can use logic, as long as it's complex. Below are three examples:
- :)AmzIs2Kul01 — This has 13 characters, begins with a smiley face, uses three letters representing the website the password is for, mixes in a short text message and ends with a month. to see all the symbols you typically can use in a password.Click here
All these symbols can typically be used in your passwords (when allowed by the site) to help create a stronger password.
! " # $ % & ' ( ) * + , - . / :
; < = > ? [ \ ] ^ _ { | } ~ `
Use these symbols to make smiley faces or other combinations that you can add to your password:
:-) :-} =] :-0 
%tGbhU8iK<Ip- — This looks hard to remember, but it's the letter W. Use the keyboard as a palette to create shapes. To change these periodically, you can slide them across the keyboard. - 2B-or-Not_2b? — Have fun with short codes for sentences or phrases. This one says "To be or not to be?"
It's okay to write down your passwords, just keep them away from your computer and mixed in with other numbers and letters so it's not apparent that it's a password.
You can also write a "tip sheet" which will give you a clue to remember your password, but doesn't actually contain your password on it. For example, in the third example above, your "tip sheet" might read "To be, or not to be?"
- Make sure you use different passwords for each of your accounts.
- Be sure no one watches when you enter your password.
- Always log off if you leave your device and anyone is around—it only takes a moment for someone to steal or change the password.
- Use comprehensive security software and keep it up to date to avoid keyloggers (keystroke loggers) and other malware.
- Avoid entering passwords on computers you don't control (like computers at an Internet café or library)—they may have malware that steals your passwords.
- Avoid entering passwords when using unsecured Wi-Fi connections (like at the airport or coffee shop)—hackers can intercept your passwords and data over this unsecured connection.
- Don't tell anyone your password. Your trusted friend now might not be your friend in the future. Keep your passwords safe by keeping them to yourself.
- Depending on the sensitivity of the information being protected, you should change your passwords periodically, and avoid reusing a password for at least one year.
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