Question from Andy: My girlfriend and I have a bet that’s riding on your answer to this question:
Is a six digit PIN really all that more secure than a four digit PIN?
It don’t seem like just two digits could make that much of a difference. She says it makes a big difference if someone ever tries to break into my phone.
So who’s right?
If you agree with me she has to take me out to dinner. If you agree with her I have to cook her a steak dinner with all the fixin’s. We both subscribe to your blog and we’ll trust your opinion.
Rick’s answer: I hate to have to tell you this Andy, but you’re gonna have to to prepare that steak dinner for your girlfriend.
A six digit PIN isn’t just slightly more secure than a four digit pin. It’s actually a LOT more secure. And that isn’t an opinion, it’s a statistical fact.Here’s why…
A four digit PIN has 10,000 possible combinations. I know that sounds pretty impressive, but it’s actually quite easy to break using various electronic methods.
However, a six digit pin has a whopping 1 million possible combinations. And that of course makes it LOT harder to break (and a lot more time consuming) using those same methods.
Bottom line: If you secure a device (or an online account for that matter) with a PIN, using a six digit PIN will provide a LOT more protection than selecting a pin with just four digits.
Of course a 6 digit PIN is more difficult to memorize, but the vast amount of extra security it provides makes it well worth the effort in my humble opinion.
Bonus tip: This post explains how to spot (and avoid) fraudulent emails.
Rick makes a compelling case, and I'm on board with his perspective. The security of a PIN is indeed a matter of mathematical possibilities. Let's break down the concepts he mentioned and delve a bit deeper.
First off, the number of possible combinations in a PIN is crucial. A four-digit PIN offers 10,000 combinations, ranging from 0000 to 9999. Now, that might seem like a lot, but in the realm of cybersecurity, it's not as formidable as it sounds.
On the other hand, a six-digit PIN expands the possibilities significantly. With each additional digit, the potential combinations grow exponentially. In this case, a six-digit PIN boasts a whopping 1 million possible combinations (10^6). That's a hundred times more than the four-digit counterpart.
The significance lies in the difficulty for unauthorized individuals to crack the code. Electronic methods, like brute-force attacks, become far more time-consuming when dealing with a larger pool of potential combinations. This is not merely Rick's opinion—it's a statistical fact grounded in the principles of probability and encryption.
Now, the trade-off here is the memorization aspect. Rick acknowledges that a six-digit PIN might be a bit more challenging to commit to memory compared to a four-digit one. However, the added layer of security is well worth the effort, especially when safeguarding crucial devices or online accounts.
So, Andy, it looks like you might be the one cooking that steak dinner for your girlfriend. The evidence supports Rick's assertion that a six-digit PIN provides a significantly higher level of protection against unauthorized access. And if you both subscribe to Rick's blog, you're in good hands for more valuable insights on cybersecurity, like spotting and avoiding fraudulent emails—a bonus tip that complements the importance of secure PINs.
