When you only had to remember your email password and a few others, it was easy. But you likely have dozens or hundreds of password-protected sites nowadays. Hackers may guess trivial passwords like your birthday or dog’s name. Even if you choose a random password like Q,ga36n]9j0[4TJ1[x, a breach at one site might reveal all your others. Password managers are the only (and best) answer. Creating and memorizing a strong password for each website is easy with this kind of tool.
Password managers function on PCs, laptops, cellphones, and tablets. They produce unguessable passwords like VjwF(wj]]SH1eex13uw, remember them, and log in to secure sites automatically.
This plan has one flaw. Password managers all use a master password to protect stored passwords. Anyone with the master password may access all your secure sites. It must be memorable, unlike random password generator drivel. Nobody can assist if you forget the master password.
Assume you’ve taken all necessary security measures. You installed antivirus software. A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, wraps your network communication in safe encryption. You’ve enlisted a password manager to handle your credentials. You still need a super-secure master password to lock your password manager. Here are guidelines for choosing a memorable, unguessable password.
Create poetic passwords
Everyone has an unforgettable poem or song. Shakespeare, BTS, or Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. Any stanza or poem can be a password.
Start by writing each syllable’s first letter, capitalizing stressed syllables and retaining punctuation. What light breaks through that window? bS,wLtYdWdB? Add A2S2 if you won’t forget it. The play was published in 1597.
If the text lacks meter, take the initial letter of each word, using punctuation and capitalization. From Oscar Wilde’s remark, By;eeiat might be created. -OW. Add a memorable number, such 1854 (his birthdate) or 1900.
Your poetry password will be unique. You’ll use a meaningful song or quote to create a secure password.
2. Password Passphrase
Password experts recommend using capital, lowercase, numbers, and symbols. By increasing the number of characters, password cracking takes much longer. Passphrases can help create lengthy, memorable passwords.
Not all password managers allow master password spaces. Okay! Separate words using a hyphen or equals symbol. Don’t use shift-key characters. Create a mnemonic to link words that don’t naturally go together. What’s “iceland-wired-red-totally”?
CorrectHorseBatteryStaple.net is one online passphrase generator.
You may worry about using an algorithm-generated password. You may construct numerous passphrases and remove one word from each.
3. Lengthen passwords
Steve Gibson offers padding for lengthy, strong passwords. If an attacker can’t crack your password with a dictionary attack or other basic methods, they must use brute force. Each letter makes the attack harder.
Gibson’s website has a Search Space Calculator that evaluates password character types and length. The calculator estimates how long it would take to brute-force a password. It’s a cracking-time meter, not a password strength meter, and it’s informative to watch how cracking time increases with password length.
Long, memorable
After using a password manager to create secure, unique passwords for all your logins, the only password you’ll need to remember is the manager’s own. This master password unlocks all of the others, so you need to choose one you can remember easily but that no one else can guess or crack.
Use a poem, song, or statement as a password. Or connect unrelated words to a vivid image or tale. Then type-friendly padding. You’ll have a memorable, uncrackable master password.
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