Tips on Creating a Secure Password that You Can Remember

Passwords. You either can't remember your complicated password or it's not secure. 

Passwords are at the heart of everything we do online. A weak password means you're more vulnerable to cyber attacks, theft, and even your reputation could be damaged. 

Weak passwords are:

• Short, single words
• Use the word "password"
• Computer generated
• Difficult to remember

So, what is the ideal password? 

The latest research is that passwords don't have to be super complex, it should just be unusual and long - approximately twenty characters is best. 

We know what you're thinking. TWENTY CHARACTERS?! How will I remember that? Here are some tricks to create a secure and long password - that you will remember.

1. Random Words
Take 3-4 random words that have nothing to do with you or each other. For example, turtlecanoemartiancandle. Most companies require that a password contain a capital letter, number, and special character, so simply replace characters or add numbers. For example, make e=3, a=@, i=1, and l=/. The password would then look something like:  Turtl3c@noeMart1ancand/e.

It's easy to remember your special code words, and after typing it a few times, you'll remember the character replacements.  

2. Special Memories
Every time you type in your password, you can remember a special time in your life. For example, you could base your password on your son's birthday. "My son's birthday is in February 2." To make that into a secure password, take the first letter of each word and put it together, for example MsbiiF2. Recall that we need a longer password, so you could make that more secure by adding more letters, for example MsbdayiiFeb2. Let's replace a few more letters with numbers and characters to strengthen it more. Make e=3, i=1 and add / for good measure to get: Ms/bday1F3b2

If you don't have a special memory, you could make a password about your favorite vehicle, a hobby you enjoy, your childhood street address, and more. The options are unlimited and you will be more secure. 

3. One and Done
No one needs to be a password super hero. If you have a lot of passwords that you are using, we highly recommend a password manager. This means you only need to remember ONE password and the software stores and retrieves your passwords for you. Just remember, not all password managers are created equal. Find a trustworthy platform. At Small Town Tech, our password management service is standard on our Protech Enterprise plan. 

If you're a business and you're reading this, call us (218-240-8802) and tell us you have "the secret password" and we will give you a free technology assessment. If your business has any security deficiencies, we will find it and recommend a solution.

What do you want to know?

Tune in on KSDM 104.1 FM, KGHS 1230 AM, KGHS 95.3 FM on Wednesday at 8:40 am for the next episode of Tech Talk. 

Send your tech questions to info@smalltowntech.shop.