How to Generate Strong Passwords

A strong password is your first line of defense against unauthorized access. This guide explains what makes a password strong, how to generate cryptographically secure passwords, and how to use memorable passphrases as an alternative.

What makes a password strong?

• • Length: At least 16 characters (longer is always better)
• • Complexity: Mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
• • Unpredictability: No dictionary words, names, or dates
• • Uniqueness: Never reuse passwords across accounts
• • Entropy: At least 80 bits of entropy (preferably 100+)

How to generate a strong password

• • Open the AHX Password Generator (link below)
• • Set length to at least 16 characters
• • Enable uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
• • Enable "Exclude ambiguous characters" (removes 0/O/l/I/1)
• • Click Generate
• • Copy the password and use it immediately
• • Store it in a password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, KeePass)

Memorable passphrases as an alternative

If you need a password you can remember, use the passphrase mode. A passphrase like "correct-horse-battery-staple" is both memorable and cryptographically strong. The AHX Password Generator supports passphrase mode with customizable word count, separator, and optional capitalization + numbers.

The AHX Password Generator uses the Web Crypto API (crypto.getRandomValues), which provides cryptographically secure random numbers — not Math.random(), which is predictable and unsafe for security purposes.