Analysis of breached passwords shows almost all are weak

New research from Specops has analyzed 10 million random passwords from the billion+ breached password list used by Specops Password Auditor and finds that a startling 98.5 percent are weak. The research defines a ‘strong’ password as having at least 15 characters in length and at least two different character classes. A long password of 15 identical-class characters (for example all lowercase) is easier to crack than one that mixes in digits or symbols. Weak passwords are the low-hanging fruit that automated cracking tools exploit first. Once an attacker gains one set of valid credentials, they can roam through the… [Continue Reading]