How to create a memorable password

In the previous topic, we were looking at what goes into a strong password: length, complexity, randomness, and memorability.

How can we make a long, complex, random password easy to remember?

The best way is to pick three random words, and add a number or two and a special character or two. Here are some examples:

• Ladybird7GustMadrid^
• SignalWrap6£Jacket
• Wheat#November8Nail

These three passwords are long, complex, random, and much more memorable than a jumble of characters.

We can make it easier to remember, too. We can think of a journey, real or imagined, and pick three points on it. For example, a trip to the shops could become:

WoodsRoundabout4%Bingo or it could be

NewsagentCobbles8Statue!

A walk round the garden could become:

Backdoor£Spinach3Roses or it could be

PuddleStepstoneGate2&

Have a go and try and come up with three three-word passwords based on journeys. Don’t forget to add numbers and special characters! Once you have come up with a password, try it on security.org‘s password checker and see how strong it is.

How did you find that?

Coming up with three random words can be tricky – we might forget to make them random. If we do this, we can use a random word generator to come up with some words for us. This takes some of the difficulty out of thinking of three random words.

When you feel like you have got the hang of this, try the end of lesson quiz. Good luck!