Hardpass

Abstract

1. Introduction

We can eliminate the majority of weak passwords by enforcing baseline recommended security policies for strong passwords.

We can prune common password dictionaries to reduce their footprint as well, and provide different configurations for file-size tradeoffs.

Lightweight password strength checker that enforces a strong password policy.

2. Objective

Lightweight password strength checker that enforces a strong password policy.

This project demonstrates how TypeScript can be applied to a real-world Cybersecurity & Ethical Hacking problem.

3. Key Features / Modules

• \>99% smaller than zxcvbn: just 2.0K gzipped, 4.8K minified, 8.7K uncompressed
• Feedback messages for weak passwords
• Familiar API
• Easy to use with React

4. Technology Stack

5. System Requirements

General requirements for this technology stack — check the README for exact versions.

• Node.js (LTS) and npm / yarn / pnpm
• VS Code or any code editor
• Git (to clone the repository)

6. Installation & Setup

git clone https://github.com/akrawchyk/hardpass.git
cd hardpass

npm install hardpass --save

# or with yarn

yarn add hardpass

const hardpass = require('hardpass');

hardpass('qwerty123');
/*
{
  score: 0,
  feedback: {
    warning: 'Not complex enough',
    suggestions: [
      'Try adding at least 1 upper case character',
      'Try adding at least 1 special character',
      'Must be at least 10 characters long'
    ]
  }
}
*/

hardpass('Cm;cF*1f5L');
/*
{
  score: 4
}
*/

Full setup instructions are in the project README.

7. Future Enhancements

Suggested extensions you can add to make this your own project.

• Add logging and alert notifications (email / Telegram)
• Write a threat model document for the tool
• Package it with Docker for safe lab testing

8. Viva / Review Questions

Common questions examiners ask for projects in this domain.

1. Which threat or attack does this project defend against?
2. What detection or protection technique is used and what are its limits?
3. How are false positives and false negatives handled?
4. Which cryptographic algorithms or security standards are involved?
5. What legal and ethical rules apply when testing a tool like this?

9. Source Code & License

This project is developed by akrawchyk and published on GitHub under the MIT License. Please follow the license terms and credit the original author when you use or modify this code.