If you’re a smart PC user, you use a different password for every account on the internet. If you’re an average PC user, you use one password for every single thing you ever log into.
Well, here’s the thing about passwords: they can always be cracked. It’s just a matter of time. Some passwords – like 512-bit encryption – take hundreds of years to decipher, which effectively makes them impossible to crack. But other passwords, like most of the passwords used by average PC users, would take only a few hours to crack.
How strong is your password?
Today, you can discover exactly how long it would take today’s hacking software to decipher your password thanks to a new Intel contest. You can check out that contest here.
Although Intel says that it does not keep your password, I still didn’t risk entering my real password into that form. Instead, I entered a random word plus a few special characters and capitals, only to find that my devious attempts to fool the system resulted in just a one day cracking time.
That’s when I became frustrated and pounded about 40 characters into my keyboard, resulting in this undecipherable monster.
Good luck cracking that! Anyways, the Intel contest lets users win a free Ultrabook, which is a pretty sweet prize. That page also lists a bunch of good password tips for extra security. If you’ve ever been hacked in the past and want to prevent yourself from being hacked in the future, then this site will help solve your problems.
