Password length parameter
Encyclopedia
In telecommunication
, a password
length parameter is a basic parameter the value of which affects password strength
against brute force attack
and so is a contributor to computer security
.
One use of the password length parameters is in the expression
, where 
is the probability that a password can be guessed in its lifetime, 
is the maximum lifetime a password can be used to log in to a system
,
is the number of guesses per unit of time
, and
is the number of unique algorithm-generated passwords (the 'password space').
The degree of password security is determined by the probability that a password can be guessed in its lifetime.
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
, a password
Password
A password is a secret word or string of characters that is used for authentication, to prove identity or gain access to a resource . The password should be kept secret from those not allowed access....
length parameter is a basic parameter the value of which affects password strength
Password strength
Password strength is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting guessing and brute-force attacks. In its usual form, it estimates how many trials an attacker who does not have direct access to the password would need, on average, to guess it correctly...
against brute force attack
Brute force attack
In cryptography, a brute-force attack, or exhaustive key search, is a strategy that can, in theory, be used against any encrypted data. Such an attack might be utilized when it is not possible to take advantage of other weaknesses in an encryption system that would make the task easier...
and so is a contributor to computer security
Computer security
Computer security is a branch of computer technology known as information security as applied to computers and networks. The objective of computer security includes protection of information and property from theft, corruption, or natural disaster, while allowing the information and property to...
.
One use of the password length parameters is in the expression
, where is the probability that a password can be guessed in its lifetime, is the maximum lifetime a password can be used to log in to a systemSystem
System is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole....
,
is the number of guesses per unit of timeTime
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
, and
is the number of unique algorithm-generated passwords (the 'password space').The degree of password security is determined by the probability that a password can be guessed in its lifetime.