Password Strength and 2FA: What you need to know in 2025

In the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats, securing online accounts has never been more critical. As computers become faster and hackers become smarter, adopting a secure password approach is essential. A six-character password using a mix of numbers, upper and lowercase letters, and symbols only takes two weeks to crack according to Hive Systems. In 2025, a secure password may not even be enough to prevent attackers. 2FA (Two-factor authentication) has become a standard across most websites and services. This article will break down how these security measures work and what you need to know to protect your digital identity.

The Modern Password

Creating passwords is a part of everyone’s life. It can be annoying and overwhelming to create a new password for every different site when all you want to do is have your account created. Here are some statistics: Almost half of people say they generally create a password that they believe is easy to remember, knowing it is less secure (Pew Research Center). Additionally, 69% of Americans say they feel overwhelmed by the amount of passwords they have to keep track of (Pew Research Center).

This is why it is crucial to create secure passwords easily and make them easily manageable. The current NIST password guidelines are that longer passwords are better. A minimum of 12-16 characters is recommended. The thought process is that longer passwords are better, even if they don’t contain a mix of numbers and symbols even though they still should.

Here are my recommendations for creating secure passwords in 2025:

• Minimum of 14 Characters: The longer the better

• Avoid using personal information: Don’t use pet names, birthdays, anything relating to you.

• Include variety: Use both uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. This makes it harder for hackers.

• Do not reuse passwords across different accounts.

These tips will help you create a secure password in 2025, but they are not easy to remember or make. Utilizing password managers is a great way to create secure passwords and manage them without having to remember each one. Depending on which web browser you use, most act as password managers and some even generate secure passwords for you. Here is an example creating a Facebook account in Firefox:

Firefox does the hard work for you, generating a password over 14 characters including variety. It will also save this password to your browser so you do not have to remember it. If you use an Apple device, Apple has created a dedicated Passwords app in iOS 17. The passwords app is outstanding and is able to generate and store secure passwords across your devices. These tips should help you stay safe with a modern password.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Even the strongest password can be compromised. This is where Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) comes in, adding a crucial second layer of security. 2FA requires you to provide two different forms of authentication before granting access to your account. Firstly your password and then something else such as a code sent to your phone or email.  In the modern age of technology, this is an implementation across almost all sites or services. Although annoying at times, it is highly recommended to enable 2FA wherever possible.

Here’s how it works:

• You enter your username and password to sign into your account.

• The system then prompts you for the second factor. The second factor could be:

  • A push notification to your phone: You receive an alert on the site’s app on your phone, asking you to approve the login.

  • A code sent via SMS: While less secure, sites will message you a unique code to enter on the website or service.

  • A code sent via Email: Just like SMS, sites will email you a unique code to enter.

  • A one-time passcode (OTP) from an authenticator app: Apps like Google authenticator or Authy will generate time-sensitive unique codes that only you and the site know every 30-60 seconds.

  • A physical security key: While less common, you plug a physical device into your computer such as a USB device to authenticate.

If both factors are successfully verified, you are able to login to your account. The reason two-factor authentication is so important is that even if a hacker knows your password, they won’t be able to know the second factor of authentication that only you know. Final tip: If you randomly get a request for the second factor, immediately change your password to that site. 

Account security is important in our daily lives. It is crucial to follow modern security standards to stay safe on the internet. The suggestions above should help you keep your accounts safe in 2025.

Stay safe!