Diceware is a method for creating passphrases, passwords and other cryptographic variables using ordinary dice as a hardware random number generator. For each word in the passphrase, five dice rolls are required. The numbers that come up in the rolls are assembled as a five digit number, e.g. 43146. That number is then used to look up a word in a Wikisource:Diceware word list. In the English list 43146 corresponds to munch. Lists have been compiled for several languages, including English, Finnish, German and Spanish.

A major advantage of the Diceware approach is that the level of unpredictability in the passphrase can be easily calculated. Each Diceware word adds 12.9 bits of Entropy to the passphrase. Five words are considered a minimum length.

Some people feel Diceware passphrases are too difficult to remember and recommend other methods, such as using the initial letters of a memorable phrase (e.g. 2bor~2b,titq). Computing entropy with the later approach is problematical.

See also

• Brute force attack
• Cryptographic key length

External links

• English diceware page (http://www.diceware.com)