How to Generate Correct Passwords in 2026

The security of your password directly affects the safety of your data. Today, fraudsters are trying to steal large quantities of information in order to steal your money, take out loans in your name or damage your online reputation. However, classic advice such as 'use complex symbols' and 'change your password every three months' is no longer effective. Modern hackers use machine learning algorithms and powerful computing systems that can quickly crack what was considered reliable protection yesterday.

In this article, we'll explore security rules and answer the question of how to create a strong password.

Common mistakes when creating passwords

Not all users know what constitutes a strong password. Despite warnings, they continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. For example, the sequence '123456' remains the most popular password. Other common options include 'password', 'guest', '111111', 'qwerty' and '12345678', as well as other simple combinations. Such passwords can easily be guessed, putting your data at risk of falling into the wrong hands.

Here are the most common mistakes:

• Length under 10–12 characters;
• Using personal data in the password, such as last or first names, dates of birth, places of residence or children's names;
• Obvious words such as 'password' or 'secret';
• Sequential, repetitive or very common number combinations such as '123456' or '101010';
• Sequential keyboard patterns such as 'qwerty' or 'йцукен';
• Contact information such as phone number, address or email address.
• Names of favourite movies, books, bands, or anything else related to your hobbies and interests.

Remember that scammers can easily find information about you from public sources and crack such passwords with little effort. To prevent this, you need to generate complex, strong passwords for each account and store them in a password manager.

Updates to the NIST password guidelines in 2026

The 2025 NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) password guidelines still emphasise that password length plays a key role, recommending a minimum of 12–16 characters. They also emphasise that length is more important than complexity. Longer passwords are harder for attackers to crack.

In 2025, NIST expanded the set of characters permitted in passwords to include everything from the ASCII standard and even Unicode. This allows you to combine characters from different languages, special characters and digits, making passwords even harder to guess.

Another significant change to the NIST recommendations is the removal of the requirement for passwords to expire. In other words, users are no longer required to change their password every three months without good reason. Researchers have acknowledged that frequent forced changes lead to less secure choices, such as simple words and phrases. Passwords should now only be changed when there is clear evidence of a breach.

NIST has maintained its recommendation to abandon password hints, despite the fact that many services still use them. The guidelines also encourage the use of password managers, which is both convenient and practical. Such services prevent you from forgetting your passwords, keep all your login credentials in one place and protect them securely.

How to Create a Strong Password in 2026

In today's world, using strong passwords is essential for keeping your data safe and your mind at ease. However, creating a truly random combination of letters, symbols, and numbers — and ensuring it's reliable — can be challenging.

To avoid this, you can use an online password generator. With one of these, you can create a password in just a couple of clicks.

Here are the main rules for generating a password:

• It should be at least 12 characters long. The service will remind you of this by showing a strength indicator.
• Uppercase and lowercase letters. The generator will mix them in a random order.
• Use digits and special characters. Including these makes your password stronger.
• Use different passwords for different logins. For convenience, the generator can create several combinations at once for your various accounts.

If you don't like the suggested password, you can refresh the results to see other combinations. The generated password can easily be copied and saved in a convenient place. To provide additional protection for your account, we also recommend enabling two-factor authentication.