Programming Homework Help

Let us evaluate the strength of one of your current passwords. Just because an attacker steals your password database does not mean he or she automatically knows your password. He or she still must crack it. Creating a strong password can make it impractical for an attacker to crack your password.

There are several online tools that help users learn more about strong passwords. These tools can help you understand the differences between strong and weak passwords.

Directions:

1. Go to How Secure Is My Password (Links to an external site.).
2. Enter one of the passwords you use on a regular basis with a minor change.
3. Take a screenshot.
4. Take note of the problems with your password (e.g., a number sequence and a dictionary word).
5. Try entering a password you might actually use that you think is strong.
6. Take a screenshot of the results.

Submit your screenshots and answer the following questions:

• Why do special characters (e.g., @, #, $, %, ^, , or *) make passwords difficult to crack?
• Why does a change of case help make a stronger password?
• How did you choose the password you currently have?
• Could others follow the same logic and choose a similar password?
• Do you use the same password for multiple accounts? Why would this be a security risk?