Passphrase

What Does Passphrase Mean?

A passphrase, a portmantaeu of the terms “password” and “phrase,” is a password composed of a sentence or combination of words. They are used to help memorize longer and more complex passwords. Ideally, they are easy to remember and have meaning to the user. By using a longer password such as a passphrase and adding complex characters like symbols, they are more secure and better protect private information.

Techopedia Explains Passphrase

The main use of a passphrase is so that a longer password than normal can be used and users can still remember it with ease. It is common to replace a few letters with numbers or symbols for added security, such as replacing “a” with “@” or “o” with “0.” Oftentimes, a passphrase is used instead of a password manager to remember complex passwords and to avoid putting all of a user's passwords in one place.

An example could be: “iponemadebyapple” can be turned into: “iPhonemadeby@pple2” which is even harder to crack.

The time it would take a computer to crack a simple password such as “iphone” is five seconds. Compared to this, a longer passphrase like “iponemadebyapple” would take 35 thousand years and "iPhonemadeby@pple2" would take seven quadrillion years to crack.

A passphrase generator can be used to create a random combination of words and numbers.

A WPA2 or WPA passphrase is an encrypted password used for wireless networks and is common for routers and wireless printers.