This article suggests a few tricks you can use to create a secure and memorable password.


Why You Need A Secure Password

Cybercrime and identity theft are big and booming businesses. These criminals target everyone from students, to employees to retired persons. Therefore, you are a target for cybercrime and identity theft. Criminals want to gain access to your accounts for a variety of reasons including: steal your identity to fraudulently obtain credit in your name, gain access to your financial accounts, or gain access to your information or social media accounts to embarrass, extort, or ransom something you value. The most common techniques cybercriminals use to accomplish their goals include:

  • Tricking you into typing your password into a bogus website that they control
  • Tricking you into installing malicious software that will steal your password or give them remote access to your phone, tablet or computer
  • Discovering the password you use on one website (i.e. social media, blog, etc.) and then use that password (or some variation thereof) to get access to your accounts on another websites (such as a bank)
  • Using sophisticated computer programs and Artificial Intelligence techniques to 'guess' your password


How to Create a Secure and Memorable Password

  1. Don't think of it as a password, think of it as a passphrase or sentence
  2. Make it long - at least 12 characters
  3. Add variety - include at least one: uppercase letter, lowercase letter, number, and punctuation mark or other symbol
  4. Make it unique - do not use the same password for more than one website
  5. Make it personal and memorable to you
  6. Add some changeable sequence so you don't need to come up with a completely new password when you need to change it


For example, if you are a music fan, you might pick a stanza from a song you like and mix it up a little:

  • "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard" – Kelis, Milkshake 
  • could become --> "Mmbatbtty!92022"


Another example, if you are more of a surreal, day-dreamy literary type:

  • Random Phrase: "Must I Deliver Bologna to Paris September 2022?"
  • could become --> "MustIDeliverBolognaToParis92022?"


Consider incorporating some aspect of the particular website / system you are using to make it even more memorable:

  • Random Phrase: "Must I Deliver MyCourses to Paris in September 2022?"
  • could become --> "MustIDeliverMyCoursesToParis92022?"


(By the way, please don't use the exact examples above. Be original.)