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Modern Password Security: Why Passphrases and Password Managers Are the New Standard

Garrett Dycus

Aug 26 2025

3 min read

Over the last several years, cybersecurity experts have shifted their views on what truly makes a strong password. As cybercriminals become more sophisticated and computing power continues to increase, the traditional rules for password security have become outdated. It’s no longer enough to rely on short, complex strings of characters—today’s threats demand a more robust approach.

Why Old Password Rules No Longer Work

The once-standard recommendation of using an 8-character password with a mix of uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols is now considered inadequate. Even if the password appears complex, modern tools can crack it in a matter of minutes—or less.

Thanks to advances in processing speed and hacking techniques, shorter passwords—regardless of complexity—are easier to crack. That’s why the current best practice is to use passwords that are at least 15 characters long. The added length drastically increases the number of possible combinations, making them significantly more secure.

But here’s the catch: remembering 15 random characters isn’t easy. That’s where the next two strategies come in.

Use Passphrases Instead of Passwords

Enter the passphrase—a simple, effective alternative to traditional passwords. A passphrase is a sequence of unrelated words that, when strung together, create a long yet memorable password.

For example:
HorseCamelBlueHouse

This passphrase is easy to remember but incredibly hard to guess. By combining random, unrelated words, you avoid predictable patterns and commonly used phrases, all while creating a password that meets modern security standards.

Bonus tip: You can make your passphrases even stronger by adding numbers or symbols, or using partial substitutions (e.g., H0rseC@melBlu3House), though this may not be necessary if your phrase is long and unique enough.

Rely on a Password Manager

Even with passphrases, managing multiple secure passwords across accounts can be challenging. That’s where password managers come in. Tools like Bitwarden, 1Password, Keeper, and others help generate, store, and autofill strong, unique passwords for every site you use.

These tools encrypt your password vault and require just one strong master password to access everything. This greatly reduces the temptation to reuse passwords across services (a major security risk) and ensures each account stays secure with its own unique login credentials.

Some benefits of password managers include:

Generating ultra-secure, random passwords
Secure storage across devices
Autofill functionality for websites and apps
Alerts for weak or reused passwords

Final Thoughts

Password security is no longer just about complexity—it’s about length, uniqueness, and management. By adopting passphrases and using a trusted password manager, you significantly reduce your risk of a security breach while making your digital life more manageable.

This publication contains general information only and Sikich is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or any other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should you use it as a basis for any decision, action or omission that may affect you or your business. Before making any decision, taking any action or omitting an action that may affect you or your business, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. In addition, this publication may contain certain content generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) language model. You acknowledge that Sikich shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by you or any person who relies on this publication.

About the Author

Garrett Dycus

Garrett Dycus is a Senior Network Consultant at Sikich, delivering technology solutions to help clients achieve their business objectives. With over 20 years of experience and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, he specializes in server infrastructure, networking, and Microsoft Cloud technologies, providing expertise and trusted advisory to drive impactful results.