diff --git a/changelog.d/9984.misc b/changelog.d/9984.misc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..97bd747f26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/9984.misc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Simplify a few helper functions.
diff --git a/synapse/util/stringutils.py b/synapse/util/stringutils.py
index 4f25cd1d26..40cd51a8ca 100644
--- a/synapse/util/stringutils.py
+++ b/synapse/util/stringutils.py
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 import itertools
-import random
 import re
+import secrets
 import string
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 from typing import Optional, Tuple
@@ -35,18 +35,21 @@ CLIENT_SECRET_REGEX = re.compile(r"^[0-9a-zA-Z\.=_\-]+$")
 #
 MXC_REGEX = re.compile("^mxc://([^/]+)/([^/#?]+)$")
 
-# random_string and random_string_with_symbols are used for a range of things,
-# some cryptographically important, some less so. We use SystemRandom to make sure
-# we get cryptographically-secure randoms.
-rand = random.SystemRandom()
-
 
 def random_string(length: int) -> str:
-    return "".join(rand.choice(string.ascii_letters) for _ in range(length))
+    """Generate a cryptographically secure string of random letters.
+
+    Drawn from the characters: `a-z` and `A-Z`
+    """
+    return "".join(secrets.choice(string.ascii_letters) for _ in range(length))
 
 
 def random_string_with_symbols(length: int) -> str:
-    return "".join(rand.choice(_string_with_symbols) for _ in range(length))
+    """Generate a cryptographically secure string of random letters/numbers/symbols.
+
+    Drawn from the characters: `a-z`, `A-Z`, `0-9`, and `.,;:^&*-_+=#~@`
+    """
+    return "".join(secrets.choice(_string_with_symbols) for _ in range(length))
 
 
 def is_ascii(s: bytes) -> bool: