Though there are guides to follow and tips to adhere to that can help you craft a password with Schwarzenegger-like strength, there’s one tool out there that can tell you how predictable it is based on multiple factors.
It’s called Telepathwords. Developed by Microsoft, Telepathwords takes the form of a website. To make use of it, you simply go to telepathwords.research.microsoft.com, type in a password in the field found in the middle of the page labeled “New password,” and Telepathwords will attempt to guess the next character you type in based on each character you enter. Correct guesses are symbolized by X marks, while Telepathwords’ failures are represented by check marks.
Telepathwords attempts to guess what you’re going to type in next based on three factors: passwords leaked in past data breaches, common phrases found throughout the Internet and common password selection patterns, like using characters located adjacent to the character you just typed in.
Conjured up by Microsoft Research along with an intern enrolled in the PhD program at Carnegie Mellon University. You can contribute to Telepathwords’ cause by hitting the check box next to “Donate my keystrokes to science.” With all of the major data breaches that have occurred in the past couple of years, having a tough password to crack is more important than ever. Don’t be a victim, be proactive.
