Creating Secure Passwords You Can Pronounce

Generating and using good passwords is a security problem for everyone. The program pwgen helps you with that problem of managing passwords.

Aspects of a Good Password
1. 8 characters or more
2. use numbers in the password
3. use letters in the password
4. use case in the password
5. avoid dictionary words

These five aspects are critical because software programs can employ “brute force” tactics to try to guess passwords on your network. Using the five aspects above will make it more difficult to crack your passwords. Security usually begins with most systems at the user level. One of the most important aspects of user security is the user password. A lot of security can go down the drain with poor passwords that can be easily cracked. Several important elements of a user password are length of the password, randomness and the forced creation of new passwords at regular intervals. Most users resist all of these elements.

Along comes pwgen to help with that problem. The basic advantage of pwgen is that it generates passwords people can pronounce, thus remember more easily. The default will include numbers but as you can see in the options, it will easily create passwords which are secure without numbers.

pwgen
Pwgen is an application you can install from synaptic Package Manager. It will help you create random passwords that people can pronounce. The idea is that good passwords are difficult to create in that either they are too easy and can be broken too easily or they are so difficult they are written down and taped to the bottom of a keyboard.

pwgen

Foh5Nhit shei2aiK Mae4kahD IeHai9ae auDo8oor aede0Ufu eayieH3o bei3EiSo

Uhei7Cea Seeyi8oo Yei0AeBe wo2Vei8i Aex0sohf Ua3XahQu EPo6eija Ooth6ohH

ahd3eiDe Ieb7eeBu Aer1ethu miT5Aiyu eoM9daen ShaiKah3 Taed9iex shaiCoh5

quiP5nae ooPie5ge Ue8reibu ohGoofu7 Ach6aime woh4dahX ooTh3Nin aeg7PuMa

eshuw3Ei Pi3eichu eeTun6ri eez3wa6A zuv8doDi ahV8eice iediaP1e Iugh5apa

Options
-0 Do not generate words with numerals

pwgen -0

vahChaib JaeghoPu iluoKeeW EiVoozee hahConei uveeDaMo huQuahth OoShofie

-B Do not use characters that can be confused

pwgen -B

nai9uJ4O jei3ieNg taeJie4A Doo4phoo Eiy9ain4 ee4Cei4X Ohphai4k too9IFog

-c Include as least one capital letter

pwgen -c

ud3zi1Oo OhLieb0I Xaigh6ri yu7OoT0A ahf4PaeW oid8Ohch iKied7Pa ye2Wu6ah

-C Print the generated passwords in columns

-N Generate this many passwords

pwgen -N5

Ho1faCh0 iuYeene4 ooYud6ie resuu9Ah Kae7aija

-n Include numerals

pwgen -n

Livoh1ph nahl3Toe aaph9iVi hooNaj3k Aed8shue mev6Ebup tho1As8a pohVu5eS

-s Generate completely secure passwords

pwgen -s

nG7d4pCE ZMu45HYh Ieg5B6hP Xkmr3bPE SxE14Mv5 pR8ccVfL TwRIt5GE HgIsNh5W

-v Generate passwords without vowels
pwgen -v

9bc4GFnC XBwQFR42 LSq49Z8s LSW6RGzZ 8jrHHbbq dLC2Q2hQ qwbrfX6x vDTzGqS3