With all the websites we login into on daily basis, forgetting online passwords becomes a major challenge.
Almost everyone forgets a password or uses similar passwords on different platforms. This can happen due to the several forms that we have to fill when visiting different sites online.
Strong Yet Hard to Remember
Almost every time you visit one of the many websites we use daily, the common advice is to create a strong password. In most cases, creating strong passwords is important as it helps to protect your account.
People tend to have passwords, with many of them being very complex passwords. However, it becomes tricky to remember all the passwords. Most internet users use different passwords, more than they can even easily remember.
Notably, passwords for your most important accounts should be unique, using a method that creates secure but easy passwords to remember.
Initially, the key to your online passwords is creating strong passwords which are more challenging to actually create a distinct character set that you can remember easily.
In this case, you could use similar passwords for different sites, which can include something like a birthday, favorite song, or even your telephone numbers.
However, with this, it becomes easier for the hackers to guess the passwords since it is just a matter of time for them to guess and get the correct passwords.
If you use a similar password on all your sites, then a password-stealing Trojan that slips past your antivirus can effectively breach all your secure sites.
Read more about password cracking in this article.
Every internet user should use a complex, unique password for every single website.
One way to manage that is via a password manager.
Pros and Cons of a Password Manager
Password managers offer both pros and cons. The benefits include the creation of complex, random and lengthy passwords, auto-logons and the ability to work with multiple devices. Unfortunately, most password managers are difficult to set-up, will not work with all websites and trigger unexplainable crashes. Furthermore, they do not support all devices and browsers.
We’ve discussed in length in our previous articles 5 reasons why a password manager is not safe for you and the problems with password managers.
These tools work on all devices from desktops, laptops, and smartphones to even tablets. They are considered to generate unique unpredictable passwords and those that are easy to remember and you can automatically use those saved passwords to login into every account of your choice.
Tips to make an online password memorable and tough-to-guess
Arguably, to this point you are probably sick and tired of hearing how important it is to create a strong password and how to follow certain steps on generating secured online security.
But you should acknowledge the importance of keeping this in mind since creating a strong password is the key to security to all your online accounts’ safety. For this reason, here are some of the tips to remember to select an online password that is memorable and tough-to-guess.
Create a tip sheet
Using a tip sheet gives you relevant clues regarding the passwords you should avoid based on the ease of predictability. Here, you are advised to never write down your passwords anywhere that someone else can easily have access to the passwords.
Having a cryptic hint that only you understand can help you to memorize the password and jog your memory in case you forget the password.
If you write down your passwords, disguise them.
In this case, you can have password hints that include the first letter of your passcode and a memorable hint that can help you to remember the full password.
The disguise can also include hints that rhyme with your passcodes, maybe just an acronym that could jog in your mind. If you choose to use this approach, ensure that the passwords and the disguise you use are not similar in any way.
On the other hand, if you do need to write it down keep them out of your computer. There are other better hiding spots, including among other letters alongside a list of your phone numbers. Just ensure that it is not clear in a way that another person can understand that it is a password. If possible don’t include the passwords that will unlock your phone and other digital devices.
Use Shortcuts
Notably, using the website name or rather its logo color can help to create a memorable and secure online password. For instance, with Facebook, a person can use the initials FB as the first letter or last in the password. Using it as a trigger is another option.
In that case, the letter F could be used to stand for favorable food, and then you can build your password with that in mind.
Never compromise security
for convenience, choose both!
Create a personal code
The main trick here is to replace letters with other characters and numbers. Or maybe purposefully misspell words, using acronyms and abbreviations.
With a few code tricks, you can generate a strong memorable, and distinct online password that is difficult to predict and compromise.
Here, you can replace letters with special characters. You can even avoid certain letters altogether.
Besides, it is important to remember that a password is a secret and so whichever the words, the spelling is not the most important thing.
Choose Four Random Words
A short phrase of several random words is another option in making an online password memorable. In this case, you can use the entire word and replace some letters with special numbers to enhance password security. It is advisable to choose something silly such as an inside joke, favorite food, animal, or even a color.
Generate a phrase based on a memorable sentence
One recommended way you can use to remember complex passwords is by constructing a memorable sentence and developing an acronym.
In this case, you can come up with something that you consider meaningful, such as an inside joke that gives you specific hints.
For instance, when I was 3 I loved my pink doll. This could create something like www3ilpkDoll. Here, adding the number and capitalizing one of the letters strengthens the password.
Avoid patterns and common passwords
Choosing some common password is simply like giving hackers a place to run the business.
For instance, a password like 12345 makes your account vulnerable since such a password is easy to predict. Therefore, try as much as possible to not fall into such a habit. Always avoid common passwords and patterns since this can help in enhancing the security. The trick here is to come up with unique and memorable online passcodes.
Make it poetic
Everyone has a favorite song or a poem that cannot be easily forgotten. Whichever the song or poem is, you can use the verse and turn it to be a password. These earworms are sometimes stuck in our minds, so you can possibly use them to create unique online passwords.
You can use combinations such as a catchy phrase from your favorite album and pick additional characters from the name of your best song.
Ideally, you should focus on using something that is important to you, but remember to avoid the easy solutions like a birthday.
Use a secure browser
In the current technological developed internet world, most internet browsers like Firefox and Google Chrome have features that allow you to save passwords and usernames.
Use this strategy at home and never while in public or on a shared computer.
Teamstack solutions
At Teamstack, we have state-of-the-art software solutions that can help your organization manage login credentials and passwords.
Our Single-sign-on and multifactor authentication systems provide a convenient way for users of a computer system to log in and access vital data and applications. Learn more about Teamstack here.