The Rise of GPU Clusters

In the early 2000s, cracking an 8-character password might have taken years on a standard CPU. Today, a modern consumer GPU (like an NVIDIA RTX 5090) can calculate billions of hashes per second. Attackers don't just use one; they chain dozens together.

Offline vs. Online Attacks

It's important to understand the difference:

• Online Attack: Trying to guess your password on the login page (e.g., Gmail). This is slow because Gmail will block them after 3-5 failed attempts.
• Offline Attack: If a database is leaked (like LinkedIn or Adobe), hackers download the file containing "hashes" (encrypted passwords). They can then run cracking software on their own supercomputers 24/7 without anyone stopping them. This is where length matters.

The Numbers (Time to Crack)

Future Proofing (Moore's Law)

The Verdict

Stop using 8-character passwords. It's like locking your house with a zip-tie. 12 characters is the new floor. For critical accounts (Banking, Email), aim for 16+ characters.