How to make a strong password — and keep it safe

Use the Password generator to create the password, then store it properly. The generator is only half the job — storage is the other half.

Steps

1. Choose a length (longer is stronger — 16 characters or more for important accounts) and the character types to include.
2. Generate a password.
3. Copy it into a password manager, or into the account you are setting up, immediately.
4. Never reuse the same password on two important accounts.

Mistakes that undo a strong password

Writing it on paper stuck to a monitor, saving it in an unprotected note, emailing it to yourself, or reusing it across accounts all defeat a generated password. A password manager exists precisely so you do not have to remember — or reuse — any of them.

Limits

The generator creates passwords; it does not store them, remember them, or check whether one was leaked in a data breach. If you lose a generated password and did not store it, it cannot be recovered — you will need to reset the account.