Are Your Passwords Working Against You? The Simple Password Audit that Reveals the Truth

What if we told you a question you’ve never asked - “How often should a password audit be performed and why?” - might be what keeps you safe? 

You’ve probably heard that “weak” passwords are a problem. But you aren’t the careless type. You understand the risks and take the right precautions.  

But here’s a new way of looking at it: It’s not about whether your passwords are “weak” or “strong” but about staying one step ahead. Rather than periodic changes (every 30,60, or 90 days), NIST recommends password audits and resets only when there’s evidence of a compromise. So, instead of asking, "Are my passwords strong enough”? ask, “When was the last time I checked?” 

A 2025 Cybernews study has revealed that 94% of passwords are reused. And 76% of people are reusing these passwords across 1-11 (or more) websites - for the sake of convenience.  

This is making the job of hackers dangerously easy. With automated tools, they can execute credential stuffing attacks by testing leaked credentials against multiple platforms.  

Because many people reuse the same passwords across accounts, one password gives the hackers access to others. 

Even with a 0.2–2% success rate, they can compromise thousands of accounts. And that’s not all: The global average cost of a data breach from weak credentials is approaching US$5 million - and continues to rise. 

With just one security incident, your digital life can be laid bare and be ripe for the taking. That’s why a password audit is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. 

Below, we’re going to reveal how you can implement one without spending a penny. 

What’s a password audit, really? 

In a nutshell, a password audit evaluates the strength of the passwords you use across your online accounts. 

Generally, a password audit involves these steps: 

1. Taking an inventory: First, you’ll compile a list of your online accounts and their passwords. 

 

2. Performing a manual check:  

• Next, you’ll look for patterns like short lengths, default credentials (like “password123”), and reused passwords. 
• You’ll also want to look for common passwords that provide context about your identity such as special dates (birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations), favorite sports teams, popular foods, and hobbies. 

3. Updating to minimize potential vulnerabilities: Once you’ve identified your most risky passwords, update them according to the newest CISA and NIST guidelines.  

 

We won’t sugar-coat it. Manual password audits are slow and time-consuming. But here comes the good part: You can automate the process, have greater peace of mind, and get more hours back in your day. Here's how. 

Kickstart your password audit with LastPass: The step-by-step blueprint

Let’s face it: Updating weak or compromised passwords is a chore most of us dread. While following the latest CISA and NIST rules is beneficial, that translates into a lot of time and effort for you. 

Between long passphrases, no forced resets unless compromised, and longer password lengths, the process can be overwhelming. 

This is where a Secure by Design password manager like LastPass shines. It’s designed to do the heavy lifting for you. Instead of guessing what to change or wasting hours of your time, you get a clear snapshot of your password hygiene and the ability to automate updates of your login credentials. 

If you’re ready to take control, here’s your easy blueprint on how to perform a password audit with LastPass. 

1. Is your Security Score in the danger zone? The LastPass Security Dashboard audits your passwords continuously (so you don’t have to) and gives you an overall “score” of your password hygiene. This score is a rating of how secure your passwords are, with the highest possible score being 100 points. 

• If you have at-risk passwords or issues with your multi factor authentication, trusted devices, or permitted mobile devices, you’ll see it indicated with a number and color based on the level of concern.  
• Under “at-risk passwords,” you can also click “view passwords” to see passwords that are at-risk due to being reused, weak, or missing. Then, you have the option to either change the password or add a password. 
• If your score is lower than 80, use the LastPass password generator to update your passwords. You can also customize a unique username with the LastPass username generator.  

2. Have you updated your master password lately? With LastPass, your master password is used to derive the key that encrypts your digital vault. It’s the gatekeeper to all your data. So, you’ll want to make sure it’s: 

• Long, random, and unique 
• Never reused 

If you must log in to your vault on a public or untrusted device, update your master password when you’re back on a trusted connection. This brings us to #3. 

 

3. Do your passwords meet the recommended length requirements? In 2025, both NIST and CISA recommend prioritizing length over complexity. Longer passwords are significantly harder to crack, even with modern hardware. Here’s how to easily increase password strength by length: 

• Use the LastPass password generator to customize your passwords. 
• Ensure passwords are 15 characters or more in length. 
• Remember: Each additional character exponentially increases the time and complexity required to crack your passwords. 

4. Which devices are marked as trusted? If you’re using multi factor authentication, you may have noticed that you can “trust” a device. That way, you won’t have to re-enter your MFA information every time you log in on that device.  

• On your Security Dashboard, you can review which devices are currently trusted. You can also remove any devices that have been lost, stolen, or decommissioned. Note that allowing trusted devices to skip multifactor authentication prompts deducts 1 point from your Security score.  

5. Do any shared passwords need to be revoked? From your vault, launch your Sharing Center to review which passwords you’re sharing with others. If someone no longer needs access, now is the time to revoke it. We also recommend updating the password after you’ve revoked access.  

 

6. Have you enabled MFA (multi factor authentication) for all your accounts? Enabling MFA accounts for 10 points in your Security score. You’ve heard it before: MFA stops 99.9% of attacks. But there’s a reason hackers still try. 

• With MFA bypass attacks and token theft schemes, they can steal your authentication codes and session cookies right from under your nose. That’s exactly why FIDO2 MFA like passkeys and YubiKeys matter. These tools are built to be phishing resistant, as attackers can’t steal what they can’t touch. 
• That said, it’s important to remember that the best MFA is no match for your wise judgment. When you’re mindful of suspicious links and tuned into social engineering tactics, you significantly strengthen your defenses against the latest attacks. 

7. Have you turned on Dark Web Monitoring? LastPass provides Dark Web Monitoring services for both businesses and consumers. With LastPass, your usernames and email addresses are monitored for breach activity.  

• If your credentials are found on Dark Web forums, you’ll receive an immediate alert. The alerts will also direct you to change the passwords for any compromised accounts.  
• Finally, when you enable Dark Web Monitoring, a one-time retroactive check for the previous 12 months is run against a list of your email addresses. This brings us to how you can take the guesswork out of data security. 

Never risk your safety again: How LastPass secures both your passwords and digital life

Your passwords are the keys to your kingdom. They deserve elite protection with total transparency. With LastPass, you get: 

• Industry-leading AES-256 encryption, which is trusted by federal agencies, hospitals, and the military. For you, this means peace of mind that your data has the highest protections. 
  
  
• Continuous password audits which automatically check for compromised passwords. For you, this means enhanced security, convenience, and peace of mind with zero extra effort. 
  
  
• A Zero Knowledge architecture, which means that LastPass has zero access to your vault data. Because only you have knowledge of your master password, your privacy remains intact. 
  
  
• Regular independent audits of our infrastructure by world class security organizations. This is how we ensure continuous improvement and a quick response to security issues. For you, this means our systems work as promised and your data stays safe.
  
  
• Transparent disclosure that gives you full insight into how we manage and protect your data. This includes clear documentation on how you can exercise your privacy rights and a fast, easy process to access our latest global certifications, policies, and security documentation. 

With LastPass, you’re no longer just a bystander but an empowered defender of your online safety. 

To experience the same peace of mind enjoyed by millions of satisfied LastPass users, get your free trial of LastPass now (no credit card required). 

I love that LastPass allows you to create shared passwords with Teams, that it has maximum provisioning features, audit trails, the mobile app is a lifesaver, that you are able to export your passwords to a .CSV file, and so many more features. I've used LastPass since before the Heartbleed attack in 2014 and it was the site that the U.S. Department of Defense had everyone go to in order to confirm whether or not a particular site had been patched after Heartbleed, which was the single largest internet attack since the inception of the internet. I've been using LastPass that long and wouldn't change it for anything. The price point is perfect (Anne C, Verified G2 user and small business entrepreneur).

I appreciate that security is finally convenient enough that there is no reason why everyone shouldn't have secure passwords. The more recent redesign has made LastPass visually more appealing and even easier to use. What I probably love most is the ability to generate new passwords while signing up for a service. Knowing that my passwords are extremely difficult provides a level of security that I couldn't maintain on my own. Their customer support has always been very responsive and extremely helpful over the 10 years that I've used them. Their family plan has helped me implement a cybersecurity standard within my house that I am grateful for. (Nicholas W, Verified G2 user and solutions architect)