The NSW Government has launched a new tool to help people choose stronger passwords to better protect their personal information online, including email, banking and social media accounts.

The new Password Strength Tester has been released during Cyber Security Awareness Month and allows users to check whether a potential password has been previously breached or leaked.

The online tool can also test how long it would take for a hacker to crack the password using a computer bot and provides a rating based on the strength of the password.

A hacker can break a password in just two seconds if it is seven characters long and doesn’t use any numbers or special characters, but a password which is 18 characters long and uses a mix of numbers, symbols and upper and lower-case letters would take 438 trillion years to break.

By making a password longer, adding more digits and special characters, and avoiding predictable words and numbers such as their name or birthdate, people can significantly improve the protection of their most important information.

The Password Strength Tester is completely anonymous, and the NSW Government will never collect, track, store, or send passwords anywhere, so they cannot be linked to a person’s usernames, accounts or websites.

ID Support NSW also encourages customers to avoid saving their log in credentials or passwords unless they have a trusted password manager system.

The Password Strength Tester is available at www.nsw.gov.au/id-support-nsw/passwords.

Security breaches and cybercrimes can cost millions in damages. In the Annual Cyber Threat Report, it was found that more than $98 million was lost because of business email compromise in 2021/22 and customers took 34 hours on average to recover their identity.

Cybercrimes were reported on average every seven minutes during 2021/22.

NSW residents who believe their identity may have been stolen can seek support to help restore their documents and secure their identity from ID Support NSW.

NSW residents are reminded to always be alert when online, with more tips on how to remain safe while using the internet available at www.digital.nsw.gov.au/policy/cyber-security.

Quotes to be attributed to Member for Campbelltown Greg Warren:

“More and more of our life is becoming online and it’s incredibly important that everyone stays safe online.”

“This is a simple and safe tool that everyone can use to quickly test the integrity of their passwords.”

Quotes to be attributed to Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib:

“Cybercrime is a growing issue and can cause significant damage and distress. The Password Strength Tester is a simple and verified tool people can use to check the strength of their passwords, providing peace of mind in an increasingly digital world.”

“Passwords are often the first line of defence against cybercriminals, so it is important they are strong and keep your online accounts secure.”

“Taking a bit of time now to check how strong your password is can save a lot of time, money and heartache down the road.”

“This tool can also help inform people about what sorts of passwords work well – or don’t work – when it comes to securing your valuable personal information. The results may surprise you.”