I receive a lot of requests regarding password generation. These range from simplifying generated passwords to not allowing special characters (or so many), shorter or easier to use passwords, etc.
Password strength and security are a touchy subject because on one hand you want a good user experience but on the other you want security. Default random passwords can be difficult to for users to use (and remember – if they don’t change it). Too simple a password and any dictionary cracker can hack it.
My new plugin, WordPass, bridges this gap by generating word-based passwords. Word-based passwords are easier to remember, easier to use, and if done right can be secure from hacking.
Passwords will be generated in the style of 2*Kayak29, 2Bigcranium2#, or %36POTATOE6.
This plugin fully integrates with WP-Members, works with WordPress, and with any plugin that uses the WordPress password generation function.
WordPass Features
- Random selection from the word list of a single word.
- Word list allows unlimited words.
- Makes words all lowercase, all uppercase, first letter uppercase, or random selection (for best security, use random selection).
- A random number between 1 and 3 digits is added to every password. This number may be split and added as multiple numbers (for example, if the random word selected is sloop, and a 3 digit number is selected, it might be served as 9sloop40.)
- At random, a single special character may be added.
The basic version of WordPass is free just like WP-Members. You can get it in the wordpress.org plugin repository. In fact, if you just go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard and enter “WordPass” in the search you will find it.
There is a pro version in development as well. When it is production ready, the pro version will be made available for a limited time to test.rocketgeek.com support site subscribers at no cost. This is a stand-alone plugin, but as I mentioned it integrates well with WP-Members, WordPress, and any plugin that uses the password generator.
WordPass Pro Features (coming soon)
- All of the free version features PLUS:
- Number of words used can be between 1-3 or a random number chosen at random from the word list.
- Default word list includes well over a hundred words to get you started.
- Words can be “leetified” (“leetspeak” is a process of changing certain letters to other symbols, letters, or numbers; for example, “street” might be “$tr33t” in leet). Leet can be turned on or off or be randomly applied.
- Basic leet dictionary included can be filtered to allow custom leet character mapping.
- Number of numbers can be 0-3 digits or random.
- Number of special characters can be 0-3 or random.
- Special characters used can be filtered to allow additional (or removal of) characters.
If you look through the features of the Pro version, you’ll see that this version will contain some pretty powerful features. While the basic version can produce strong passwords given the right words in the word list, the pro versions ability to use multiple words allows for some very strong yet easy to remember passwords.
I expect the Pro version to launch as a download available to rockgeek.com subscribers during June 2016.