Creating a Secure Password the Easy Way was presented by Steve Gasser of Vivid Image
A secure password is one that meets the following guidelines:
- It must obtain symbols
- It cannot be found in the dictionary
- It cannot be found on your Facebook profile (like a child’s or pet’s name)
- It is at least 11 characters long
- It is not written down on a sticky note on your desk
- It must contain uppercase and lowercase letters
The most common response to these criteria is “How am I supposed to remember random characters?”
How to Remember Random Characters in your Secure Password:
Symbols: The easiest way is to wrap your password with symbols. Pick your favorite symbol and put one at the beginning and the end of your password. You can use any symbol (@, $, %, *, &)
- For this example, I will use the “@” so my password so far is @@
Not in Dictionary: The easiest way to create a string of characters that is not a “word” is to come up with a memorable phrase and use the first character of each word. You can use any phrase you like.
- For this example, I will use the phrase “I Would Like My Password To Be Secure” so my password so far is @iwlmptbs@
Length: Instead of turning your phrase into a paragraph, you can use some numbers to add length. I suggest a memorable year like a birthdate or the current year.
- For this example, I will use my graduation year “2001” so my password so far is @iwlmptbs2001@
Uppercase Letter: An easy way to keep track of which letter to capitalize is to pick a row of keys on your keyboard and capitalize each letter in that row.
- For this example, I will use the top row of keys so my password is now @IWlmPTbs2001@
And there you have it… a password created from a memorable phrase. After typing it a couple times while saying the phrase to yourself, you will have a secure password that is easy to remember.
Vivid Image, Inc. www.vimm.com/random-tips
