4 ways to create memorable & strong passwords

Passwords, together with email and social media, are listed as three of the biggest cyber security threats to Australian Businesses. While passwords are, indeed, the safeguards to our online world and for most of us, our identity, it appears the safety of them can often be a cause for concern as discussed in our previous blog post. With technology moving forwards, it is very likely in coming months and years  we will have even more passwords to remember than ever before.With this in mind we provide 4 top tips to create memorable and strong passwords:

1. Use a memorable phrase

One easy way is to think of a phrase or a saying that means something to you and preferably, only you. It will need to be of at least 8 characters, 12 would be better, but not too long that it becomes hard to remember. To make it even more secure, replace one word with a misspelt word to your phrase to make it even harder to crack.

2. Combinations of random words

Xkcd suggested using four or even more random words to create a mental image that is unique to you. The visual will make it easy for you to remember the combination, and the randomness will make it very difficult to hack.

3. Don’t overcomplicate things  

Of course, something like G&^)O;x3&!@=hN73-z would certainly pass any password security test. But what are the chances of you actually remembering this (writing it down doesn’t count…)? And don’t forget the first rule of password security – use a different one for each account you have. So remembering say, 20 of them? Are you still in?  

4. Human password generator

One problem with modern passwords is that the combinations of characters, numbers and symbols are incredibly hard for humans to remember. But with a little help you may be able to harness this. Establishing a certain rule or pattern that incorporates the name of the website you are logging in with some random words and symbols can prove to be very helpful. All you need to remember is one pattern, and you will have as many unique passwords as you need for each and every account you need to safeguard.Lastly, don’t forget to check the strength of your password methodology before applying across your accounts.