GPEN · Question #235
Which of the following options holds the strongest password?
The correct answer is B. $#164aviD^%. Password strength is determined by length, complexity, and unpredictability; mixing uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special symbols in a non-dictionary pattern yields the highest entropy.
Question
Which of the following options holds the strongest password?
Options
- AJoe12is23good
- B$#164aviD^%
- Ccalifornia
- DAdmin1234
How the community answered
(29 responses)- A17% (5)
- B72% (21)
- C7% (2)
- D3% (1)
Why each option
Password strength is determined by length, complexity, and unpredictability; mixing uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special symbols in a non-dictionary pattern yields the highest entropy.
Joe12is23good uses only letters and digits with a name and common words, making it susceptible to dictionary-based and hybrid attacks despite its length.
$#164aviD^% is the strongest password because it combines special characters, digits, and mixed-case letters with no recognizable dictionary words or predictable patterns, producing high entropy that resists both brute-force and dictionary attacks. The presence of multiple symbol characters significantly expands the keyspace compared to alphanumeric-only passwords of similar length.
california is a single lowercase dictionary word with zero complexity, making it trivially cracked by any dictionary attack in seconds.
Admin1234 follows one of the most commonly used and leaked password patterns - a capitalized common word followed by sequential digits - and would be among the first guesses in any credential attack.
Concept tested: Password complexity and entropy evaluation
Source: https://pages.nist.gov/800-63-3/sp800-63b.html
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