Managing an endless stream of passwords is now a fact of life, and the temptation to reuse the same one is real. But experts warn that strong and varying passwords are key to keeping your personal information safe. Create more secure passwords with these three things in mind While there’s no one way to build a memorable, hard-to-break password, the good ones do have some things in common:
They’re long (aim for at least 10 to 12 characters, but 16 to 20 is even better)
They avoid common names, places and dictionary words
They use a random mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters along with numbers and symbols
Creating strong passwords is one thing, remembering them is another. The good news is, there are ways to manage and remember your secure passwords.
Try turning a sentence or phrase into a password
To give your brain a break, consider a sentence or phrase you can easily recall. Combine that approach with spelling out the phrase with letters, numbers and symbols — and you’ll be on your way to a secure password. For example:
I used to live in Wisconsin= iu$ed2l!vNW!
Summer rain clouds = suM3rra!nclwdZ
Be sure you don’t simply replace letters with numbers, as many code-breaking software programs scan for those simple tricks. And don’t use family names, birthdays, pet names, anniversaries or common phrases from literature. The more nonsensical it appears, the better.
Tip: While symbols and numbers are a great way to mix up your passwords, avoid common letter substitutions like @ for a and 0 for o.
Give your memory a fighting chance
If you want to harness the power of a memorization method backed by science, apply the PAO (Person-Action-Object) method to your password. With this method, visualize a person, an action, and an object, then create a story for those images. The more unusual, the better. For instance, if your words are:
Person: Mary
Action: cooking
Object: spaceship
Then our story would be: Mary cooking in a spaceship. The easier it is to visualize and remember, the better. Once you have that story down, create a password using the tips from above, like MAcK!ngs8shIp.
Tip: Don’t base your password on easy things to figure out like your birthday or address.
By enabling multifactor authentication when possible, you can add another barrier between your personal information and cybercriminals.
Don’t reuse the same password
Tempting as it is, using the same password for all your devices and accounts is the virtual equivalent of putting all your eggs in one basket. If one of the sites you frequent experiences a data breach, your information could be compromised everywhere you use the same password.
Enable multifactor authentication
Many sites and services have additional layers of security to help protect users and avoid account breaches. By enabling multifactor authentication when possible, you can add another barrier between your personal information and cyber criminals.
Sign up for a password management service
Another way to keep track of your passwords is to sign up for a password management service. These services encrypt and store your passwords for you, and even generate random new passwords when needed. Some are free and some come with a fee, it just depends on what works best for you.
The best password management services integrate with your browser or mobile device. If you think this sounds like the way to go for you, simply search for a reputable provider and make sure you understand the terms of use.
Tip: Don’t save your passwords or other login information in your browser. Cybercriminals can easily extract that information if your computer is ever hacked, making a bad situation worse.
Protecting your information is worth the effort
Victims of identity theft spend countless hours trying to resolve the credit problems, financial disputes and legal issues that result from being hacked. Creating and maintaining strong passwords may require a little creativity up front, but protecting your information is worth the effort in the long run.
