For thos of you who tend to like the movie better than the book, check out the video version of this blog.
,The Pew Research center recently reported that the average computer user needs to keep track of approximately 76 different passwords. While biometric logins are gaining traction, it’s likely going to be a while before we can say goodbye to the majoring of these 76 passwords. Additionally, as identity theft continues to grow in both sophistication and prevalence it’s more important than ever to have a solid solution for managing passwords.
There are dozens of apps, websites and other services that can store all of your credentials in one secure location. These services seem to work well for millions of users, unfortunately, I don’t happen to be one of them. I’ve tried several and for one reason or another they all failed to gain a permanent spot on my roster of “must have” apps.
Rather than relying on a piece of third party of technology, the approach that has worked for me focuses on the process of creating the passwords themselves rather than where and how they are stored. Over the years I have cobbled together a password naming formula for that satisfies requirements of most of the sites you’re likely to come across. Additionally, I believe this approach strikes a good balance between security and convenience.
Now, as part of my never ending quest to make other people’s lives better, I share with you my formula for creating passwords.
1) Password must be UNIQUE:
A password needs to be unique to the site or services it’s being used for. Using the initials or two other letters related to the services will help you to more easily remember your password. Also, because many sites require it, us one uppercase and one lowercase.
FaceBook = Fb, Amazon = Az or An
Password: Az
2) Password must be CURRENT:
Next, I add the current year so I know when the password was created. If your environment requiresd you to change your password frequently, you can ad the month or quarter.
2021=2021
2021q2 = Second quarter of 2021
202103 = March of 2021
Password: Az2021
3) Password must be COMPLEX:
Lastly, to increase the complexity and decrease likelihood of the password being cracked by a computer, add several special characters to the mix. Many sites limit which special characters you can use so I recommend sticking to the most commonly accepted ! @ # $. Repeating several of the same character in a row makes the password easier to remember while still boosting overall security.
Az2021!!!###@@@
Now that you’ve created a shiny new password you can see how secure it is at HowSecureIsMyPassword.net. After you enter your password it will give you an estimate of how long it would take a rouge computer to hack your password. The one I just created would take about 15 Billion years. Not bad right?
Just 75 more to go.