Word List — Password Portable

In reality, security hinges on entropy — the true measure of unpredictability. This article compares random‐character passwords wi... SySS Tech Blog Finding evidence of wordlists being deployed against SSH ... Automated password guessing using wordlists is one technique employed by cyber criminals in attempts to gain. access to devices on... ResearchGate Finding evidence of wordlists being deployed against SSH ... The wordlist rockyou. txt was found on both the Internet and the Kali distribution contained all the top 20 passwords. This occurr... ResearchGate How to create a genuinely strong password for your digital life Feb 22, 2018 —

Word List Password: A Comprehensive Guide 1. Definition A word list password is a passphrase created by combining multiple random words from a predefined list (a dictionary or word list). Unlike traditional passwords that use substitutions (e.g., P@ssw0rd ), word list passwords rely on length and unpredictability rather than complexity. Example: correct-horse-battery-staple 2. How It Works Instead of one complex word (e.g., tr0ub4dor&3 ), a word list password strings together 4–7 common words. The security comes from the number of possible combinations :

If you randomly pick 4 words from a list of 7,776 words (like the Diceware list), the total possibilities = 7,776⁴ ≈ 3.6 × 10¹⁵ combinations. An attacker would need to guess that exact sequence, not just each word individually.

3. Example Word Lists Used | List Name | Number of Words | Source | |-----------|----------------|--------| | Diceware | 7,776 | Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) | | BIP39 | 2,048 | Bitcoin mnemonics | | Google 10k | 10,000 | Most common English words | | Simple English | 1,000 | Reduced for memorability | 4. Complete Example of a Word List Password Random selection from EFF’s large word list (7,776 words): reopen soaked witty faction word list password

Transformed for a specific service (adding a digit & symbol): reopen-soaked-witty-faction$9

Another example using the BIP39 list: abandon maple rocket gentle

5. Strength Analysis | Metric | Word List (4 words) | Traditional (8 chars) | |--------|---------------------|------------------------| | Length | ~25–30 characters | 8 characters | | Entropy (bits) | ~51 bits (Diceware 4 words) | ~28 bits (lowercase+digits) | | Resistance to brute force | Decades | Hours to days | In reality, security hinges on entropy — the

Entropy formula for Diceware: log₂(7776⁴) ≈ 51.7 bits of entropy

6. Weaknesses

Dictionary attacks – If the attacker knows you use a word list, they can restrict guesses to word combinations. Predictable word order – Using famous phrases ( to be or not to be ) or grammar reduces entropy. Service limitations – Many websites reject spaces, limit length, or disallow repeated words. Offline attacks – With GPU cracking, 51 bits can be broken in months (but still far better than 8‑char passwords). Automated password guessing using wordlists is one technique

7. Best Practices for Creating a Word List Password

Do not choose words manually – Humans are bad at randomness. Use dice, a random number generator, or a password manager. Use at least 6 words for high‑value accounts (e.g., email, banking). 6 Diceware words = 77 bits of entropy. Add a random separator – Hyphens, spaces, or underscores (but avoid predictable patterns like always using a ! at the end). Avoid real sentences – my name is bob is terrible. cello unpaid jump slice is good. Never reuse the same word list password across multiple sites.