biology

Random password generator

Random password generator is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Random password generator rather than just read about it. In short: A random password generator is a software program or hardware device that takes input from a random or pseudo-random number generator and automatically generates a password. Mnemonic hashes, which reversibly convert random strings into more memorable passwords, can substantially improve the ease of memorization.

Key takeaways

Random password generator belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Random password generator to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Random password generator from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A random password generator is a software program or hardware device that takes input from a random or pseudo-random number generator and automatically generates a password. Mnemonic hashes, which reversibly convert random strings into more memorable passwords, can substantially improve the ease of memorization. As the hash can be processed by a computer to recover the original 60-bit string, it has at least as much information content as the original string.

Password type and strength

Websites

Web Cryptography API The Web Cryptography API is the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) recommendation for a low-level interface that would increase the security of web applications by allowing them to perform cryptographic functions without having to access raw keying material. The Web Crypto API provides a reliable way to generate passwords using the crypto.getRandomValues() method. Here is the simple Javascript code that generate the strong password using web crypto API.

FIPS 181 standard Many computer systems already have an application (typically named "apg") to implement the password generator standard FIPS 181. FIPS 181—Automated Password Generator—describes a standard process for converting random bits (from a hardware random number generator) into somewhat pronounceable "words" suitable for a passphrase. However, in 1994 an attack on the FIPS 181 algorithm was discovered, such that an attacker can expect, on average, to break into 1% of accounts that have passwords based on the algorithm, after searching just 1.6 million passwords. This is due to the non-uniformity in the distribution of passwords generated, which can be addressed by using longer passwords or by modifying the algorithm.

Mechanical methods Yet another method is to use physical devices such as dice to generate the randomness. One simple way to do this uses a 6 by 6 table of characters. The first die roll selects a row in the table and the second a column. So, for example, a roll of 2 followed by a roll of 4 would select the letter "j" from the fractionation table below.

See also Cryptographically secure pseudorandom number generator Diceware Hardware random number generator Key size Master Password (algorithm) Password length parameter Password manager

References

External links Cryptographically Secure Random number on Windows without using CryptoAPI from MSDN RFC 4086 on Randomness Recommendations for Security (Replaces earlier RFC 1750.)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Random password generator

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Random password generator claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Random password generator before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Random password generator ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Random password generator

In research: Random password generator appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Random password generator in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Random password generator is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Applications of randomness, Cryptographic algorithms, Password authentication, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Random password generator outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Random password generator in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Random password generator means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Random password generator out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Random password generator in simple terms?

Why does Random password generator matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Random password generator?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Random password generator.