Tips for creating strong passwords you can remember

We're all aware that to keep our information safe online, we need to use strong passwords that we don't re-use across different accounts or sites. But it can be very difficult to come up with a good password and even more difficult to remember it. Especially if we have to remember a different one for each of our online accounts! 

Password managers are a great way to manage all of our passwords securely, but even a password manager needs a good master password that's both strong and easy to remember.

So how do you create a strong password you can remember? Here are some tips:

1. Replace letters with numbers or symbols

Take a word or phrase you can easily remember and replace some letters with similar-looking numbers or symbols.

For example:

• Word: "sunflower"
• Password: sun310w3r

Note: Bear in mind that substituting a letter for a number is a fairly common technique, so something like "pa55w0rd" - is fairly obvious and someone trying to access your account might try it.

2. Combine unrelated words

Pick 3-4 random words and combine them. The more unusual the combination, the better.

For example:

• Words: book, cheese, tree
• Password: BookCheeseTree

3. Use a memorable date with a phrase

Combine a significant date with a phrase related to that date.

For example:

• Event: Wedding anniversary on June 15, 1980
• Password: WeddingDay15061980

Note: Avoid using just a memorable date and avoid the sort of information someone might be able to get from somewhere like Facebook, such as your birthday.

4. Use the Name-Date-Place method

Combine the name of someone important to you, a significant date, and a meaningful place.

For example:

• Name: Mary
• Date: Born in 1950
• Place: (had our honeymoon in) Cambridge
• Password: Mary1950Cambridge

Note: Just as with the memorable date above, make sure this information isn't something someone might be able to piece together from information they can easily find out about you or people close to you.

5. Use a memorable phrase or sentence

Choose a phrase or sentence that's meaningful to you, then use the first letter of each word.

For example: 

• Phrase: "I like to eat chocolate cake on Sundays!"
• Password: IlteccoS!

6. Create an acronym from a favourite song lyric or quote

Probably my favourite in terms of how to create a seemingly random password that's easy for you to remember, is to take a line from your favorite song or a quote you love and use the first letter of each word.

For example:

• Lyric: "If you like piña coladas. And gettin' caught in the rain!"
• Password: Iylpc&gcitr!

Note: With the example above, I have also been able to use the ampersand 'and' symbol (&) and an exclamation mark (!) which make the password even stronger and more difficult to guess or crack.

7. Other password tips

• Do use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters
• Do include numbers and symbols
• Do make sure your password is at least 12 characters long
• Don't use personal information that others might guess (like your birthdate or phone number)
• Don't use the same password for multiple accounts