While PassGAN can crack many common passwords quickly, it offers little to fear for users taking basic precautions. PassGAN cracked 50% of common passwords in under a minute according to one study but conventional crackers achieve similar results, with one expert calling PassGAN “neither impressive nor exciting.”
To prevent PassGAN from cracking your password fast like “50% of common passwords in under a minute,” use longer, more complex passwords combining letters, numbers and symbols. A 11+ character password stumps PassGAN, taking 365+ years to crack. At 11 characters, that increases to over 30,000 years. Password managers help generate complex passwords but passphrases (multiple words) also defeat cracking.
If avoiding password managers after a breach, a 15 character lowercase passphrase takes PassGAN 890 years on average to crack. Add a capital letter and that rises to 47 million years. While no password is perfect, following best practices leaves little to fear from PassGAN vs. other threats.
Using passphrases and longer, complex mixed-case passwords with numbers and symbols prevents PassGAN from quickly cracking like the alarming claim. Though a Home Security Heroes study showed PassGAN cracking many passwords fast, experts call results “neither impressive nor exciting,” achieving similar fast cracking with conventional tools.
For users taking basic precautions, PassGAN offers little real threat. A 11+ character mixed password with letters, numbers and symbols takes PassGAN 365+ years to crack on average. At 11 characters, over 30,000 years. Passphrases also defeat cracking, with a 15 letter lowercase passphrase averaging 890 years for PassGAN to crack and 47 million years with a added capital letter.
Though advertising fast password cracking, PassGAN provides no greater threat than other tools or methods for users employings best practices. Longer, more complex passwords and passphrases prevent PassGAN from quickly cracking like the alarming claim, leaving responsible users with nothing more to fear from this AI tool than any other threat. With simple precautions defeating PassGAN, users remain safe from this AI password cracker if avoiding useless panicking.