12-Character Password Generator

Generate secure, random 12-character passwords. 79 bits of entropy — strong strength. Everything runs in your browser.

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pwgen — 12 chars
guest@pwgen:~$ generate password --length=12 --all-chars
length
12
charset
options
symbols
[init] crypto.getRandomValues() — ready
[info] all generation client-side · zero server requests

Why 12 Characters?

A 12-character password is the modern baseline recommendation from CISA, the EFF, and most cybersecurity professionals. With 79 bits of entropy, it would take over a million years to brute-force even with the most powerful GPU clusters available today. This is the minimum length where you can be confident your password won't be cracked by brute force in your lifetime.

Entropy is calculated as: length × log₂(pool_size). With 12 characters from the full 95-char printable ASCII set, you get 79 bits of entropy. Brute-force time at 10 billion guesses/sec: 1.1 million years.

Example 12-Character Passwords

P8rRgy!cM6[n
<EtOjKKcbFlf
7}BNEc1Jvx;!
CLp0IJ*ght$q
5K(o)P!Md7+j
}DNhFtb77TE5
w_NwL(_<5H7!
Vhlu]Smf3r*k
t:}r0%*l#CZH
@}n;tgC?eGwe
g^:d>!}Vh9^N
V:YT?1rJ+D]l
+gy9L!l>S5:^
QkVv7_)^Z)@C
15rG,m98P=4N
7fi@o#0L%s2f
>|_twGNi,J;T
7@uWv_l?DI9N
I7QmmH:-o]&H
po}2htt_v5d#
$+)1=20sZ@>2
E$+zRP)X<AWb
8q=|YQ(b@z;l
2s3p[{Eu8Gjy
!Lda|EP2>bI}
>mx;ym>Hc7p8
8U6ri<gj5Tq1
W6y%U)S-4Gq9
ufMzk#fo)cQ]
pO8J&VfX>D}n
W97[HOV1X4^{
ZdI!cH4Wway#
<v9*x?LaIqYV
R_*bXcrtYOxI
5iUXDX8[&%+b
ZpICp]Ohr&?_
r}(hU?bswFN*
<7q3wgLTWbmO
8!X[$f=zKxO3
j-Bizi@6HR1%
a%PZa3QH:f?(
]r,gAhg}rLiz
{-)-)SH?F2%:
lL,xxXq99Jau
)Y&&YLUN0;xK
IF!uQWYG5^Q2
,EH@u1D=*KH(
A<pTS-(K)f+v
vXhpf^#o6Gz3
V-1i5mkfY<%r

50 pre-generated examples. Use the generator above for a cryptographically fresh password — these are for illustration only.

Who Needs 12-Character Passwords?

Microsoft 365 enterprise policies often default to 12-character minimums. AWS IAM recommends 14+ but commonly sets 12 as the floor. GitHub recommends 15+ for developer accounts. Most modern password policies (NIST 800-63B) suggest 12 as a reasonable minimum when combined with other controls.

12-Character Password Use Cases

Email Accounts

Your email is the master key to everything — password resets, 2FA recovery codes, and identity verification all flow through email. Use at least 12 characters for Gmail, Outlook, and ProtonMail.

Cloud Storage

Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud, and OneDrive contain documents, photos, and sensitive files. A 12-character password protects years of personal and professional data.

Work Accounts

Slack, Jira, Confluence, Notion, and other workplace tools often contain proprietary information. 12 characters is the minimum for professional use.

Financial Accounts

Banking and investment accounts should use 12+ characters minimum. Pair with 2FA (preferably hardware keys) for maximum protection against targeted attacks.

Password Length vs Security

LengthEntropyCrack Time (GPU)RatingRecommended For
6 chars 39 bits 3.5 seconds Weak temporary or throwaway accounts only
8 chars 53 bits 1.3 days Fair low-security accounts where the site enforces rate limiting
10 chars 66 bits 117 years Good general-purpose accounts and social media
12 chars 79 bits 1.1 million years Strong general accounts
14 chars 92 bits 10 billion years Strong sensitive accounts
15 chars 99 bits 894 billion years Excellent business accounts
16 chars 105 bits 84 trillion years Excellent master passwords
20 chars 132 bits 7 × 10²¹ years Overkill master passwords
24 chars 158 bits 6 × 10²⁹ years Overkill maximum security
32 chars 211 bits 4 × 10⁴⁵ years Overkill encryption keys
48 chars 316 bits Maximum cryptographic secrets and machine-to-machine authentication
64 chars 421 bits Maximum cryptographic keys

Crack times assume 10 billion guesses/sec (GPU cluster with MD5). Bcrypt/Argon2 hashing makes these 10,000x–100,000x slower.

Other Password Lengths

More Security Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 12-character password secure enough?

Yes. A 12-character password using uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols provides 79 bits of entropy — well beyond what brute-force attacks can crack. It would take 1.1 million years to break with current GPU technology.

How long does it take to crack a 12-character password?

With a modern GPU cluster computing 10 billion hashes per second, a random 12-character password using all character types (95-char pool) would take approximately 1.1 million years to crack by brute force. Using only lowercase letters would be significantly faster to crack.

Does character variety matter more than length?

Both matter, but length has a greater impact. Each additional character multiplies the total combinations by the pool size (up to 95 for all printable ASCII). However, using all character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols) maximizes the pool size, which also multiplies security exponentially.

Should I use a password manager?

Yes. You cannot reliably memorize unique random passwords for every account. A password manager securely stores all your passwords behind one strong master password, and can auto-fill them across devices and browsers.

Which accounts need a 12-character password?

A 12-character password is recommended for: general accounts, email, and social media. Always use the strongest password practical for each account, and never reuse passwords across sites.

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