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What is a Passphrase?
A passphrase is a string of words a user can enter to authenticate themselves and gain access to a system, service, or file. In general, a passphrase should be up to 40 characters in length, with a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Some providers offer passphrases as a security mechanism because they are more challenging for hackers to crack than traditional passwords. This is mainly because they have more characters, making them harder to guess or brute force attack.
Key Takeaways
- Passphrases are a string of words a user can use to authenticate account access.
- In general, passphrases are more difficult to crack than traditional passwords.
- A good passphrase should have a mix of 15-20 characters.
- Selecting a weak passphrase can put your account at risk of compromise.
- Other security measures like multi-factor authentication are still recommended.
How Passphrase Works
When signing up for an online account or changing their account settings, the user changes their password to a passphrase made up of multiple words (typically four or more words).
Users can select a passphrase by creating one manually or using a random word or passphrase generator to assist the process. The aim is to create a passphrase that’s complicated enough that it’s not easy to crack but is memorable enough for the user not to forget it.
Once the passphrase is configured, the user can use it to log into their account, just like a password. They can also be stored in a password manager.
Passphrases can also be used to restrict access to certain services. For example, it can be used as an alternative to a WPA password (replaced with a WPA passphrase) in your router settings, or you could use a Secure Shell (SSH) passphrase to control access to an encrypted SSH tunnel and to protect a private key from use by unauthorized individuals.
It is important to note that passphrases can still be compromised via brute force or harvested via social engineering scams, phishing, or malware infections.
What is a Strong Passphrase?
A strong passphrase should generally contain 15-20 characters, with a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, symbols, and spaces.
The phrase shouldn’t be based on a popular expression but a sequence of random words that are not logically connected so that they can’t be guessed or hacked by a threat actor.
As a best practice, you’ll also want to avoid reusing passphrases across multiple accounts. The reason for this is that if your passphrase is stolen, someone could use it to gain access to all of the accounts that share the phrase.
We recommend selecting a strong passphrase and using other security measures such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) or even passwordless authentication options like passkeys, where possible, to add extra layers of security to your account.
How to Use a Passphrase
You can use a passphrase in the same way that you would a traditional password. That being said, some sites don’t support using passphrases due to restrictions on character lengths. If the site has a character length restriction, you can enter it in a password text box.
To select your passphrase, you’ll want to choose a random sequence of words you can easily remember and then add some embellishments, like capitalizing the letters or replacing them with symbols to make the string harder to crack.
For instance, if you chose Applesfloorsignshows as your random sequence of words, you could change the format to the following to make it more secure: App1esfl00rsignsh0ws
Ideally, you want to select a passphrase that’s as complex as possible while still being easy enough for you to remember and input when you log into your accounts.
Types of Passphrases
There are several different types of passphrases you can use to protect accounts and services.
These include:
Passphrase vs. Password
| Passphrase? | Password? | |
| Definition? | A string of multiple words with spaces, letters, numbers, and symbols | A combination of characters, letters, numbers, and symbols |
| Character length? | Minimum of 8 characters | Minimum of 8 characters |
| Advantages? | Easier to remember and harder to hack | Widely used and can be managed via a password manager |
| Limitations? | Not all providers support passphrases | Strong passwords are difficult to remember and vulnerable to cyber threats |
| Security Concerns? | Credential stuffing and phishing are still a possibility (but less likely than with passwords) | Vulnerable to phishing, social engineering, malware, and credential stuffing. Also frequently leaked on the dark web |
Passphrases Examples
Just like with a password, you can use a variety of combinations to safeguard access to your online accounts.
Some typical passphrase examples you could use include:
- App1esfl00rsignsh0ws
- GameCarrotFootballMoon
- 1LobsterFiveSunl1ghtDrive
- AirportCheeseburgerMorning Dinner
- JumperWaterTopLunar
Feel free to play around with random words and formatting until you find a phrase that’s easy to remember but difficult to guess.
8 Tips for a Strong Passphrase
There are many different ways you can select a strong passphrase:
Passphrase Pros and Cons
Below are the main pros and cons of using passphrases to protect accounts and services:
- Harder to crack than passwords
- Easy to remember
- Improved user experience
- Risk of choosing a common phrase
- Most systems are designed for passwords
- Some systems may force complicated passwords
The Bottom Line
Now you know the definition of a passphrase, you understand it’s one of the easiest ways to enhance the security of your account. While they’re not foolproof and can still be stolen or cracked, they are still harder to breach than passwords.
