You can create strong passwords that are hard to hack and virtually impossible to guess. Ok, this is going to sound complicated, but it’s not. You have to think about it. But you’ll get the hang of it in no time.

When computers and the concepts of passwords first came into being, we could mostly get away with simple, mundane passwords. You know, things like our kid’s name. Betty was a perfectly good password. Not anymore, yet there are far too many people who use simple, easy to hack passwords like Betty.

(If you prefer to watch a video rather than read, I’ve linked a YouTube video below.)

I developed a method that creates complicated passwords that are easy to remember. Not at first. At first you’re going to read this and go “WTF?”, I mean “Huh?” (sorry mom). But not to worry, it makes sense, and after doing it a couple of times you will get the gist and the light bulb will go off and you will start having virtually hacker proof passwords in no time.

Here’s how I create passwords. I use an easy to remember phrase (3 to 5 words), and easy to remember number (3 to 5 numbers (either one more or one less than the words) and a symbol that has a relationship to one of the numbers.

My Password Method Explained

Using your kid’s name example from above. An easy to remember phrase would be her complete name: Betty Amber Smith. An easy to remember number would be the year she was born: 2012. A symbol that has a relationship to one of the numbers would @, which is found above the first number 2.

Using your kid’s name example from above. An easy to remember phrase would be her complete name: Betty Amber Smith. An easy to remember number would be the year she was born: 2012. A symbol that has a relationship to one of the numbers would @, which is found above the first number 2.

Let’s start with the phrase. I take the first two letters of each word of the phrase, keeping proper capitalization. So in this case it would be: BeAmSm. Now I take the number and insert one number in between each word of the phrase, and since there are more numbers than words, I start with the number (if there were fewer numbers, then I’d start with the letters). So it would be: 2Be0Am1Sm2. Now I take the symbol and place it after the number in which is corresponds to. So the password that started out as Betty is now: 2@Be0Am1Sm2@.

Easy to Remember Password When You Learn method

When you read the password, you’re like: “I can never remember that.” Well, good news, you don’t have to. You just have to remember the method. Phrase, plus number, plus symbol. So if you can remember your daughter’s full name, the year she was born and what symbol goes above the 2, then you can easily remember that password. First Number, Symbol, First two letters, Second Number, Second Two letters, Third Number Third, etc.

Let’s try another example.

Phrase: Titanic won Best Picture.

Year it won: 1997.

Symbol: ! (above 1).

Password: 1!Ti9wo9Be7Pi

And here’s one for all of you who like to use their favorite food as a password.

Phrase: I love pizza

Number: 9876

Symbol: ( (above 0)

9(I8lo7pi6

Let’s say you want to use a two word phrase instead of the 3 to 5 words. Then just use the first three letters of each word.

Phrase: Cadillac Escalade (the car you drive)

Numbers: 367 (numbers on the license plate)

Symbol: & (symbol above the 7)

3Cad6Esc7&

Make Your Passwords Hard to Hack

In every instance, the probability of the password being hacked is near nil. Not impossible of course, because there are a lot of nefarious people out there. But it seems like in most cases, where a password is hacked, it’s because the person’s password that was hacked was something simple like Betty.

You can still use birthdays and child’s names and anniversary’s and alma matres and hometowns for passwords, but just be smarter about it. Disguise them and combine then so they don’t make any sense to anybody and are virtually impossible to guess or recognize. But if you can remember the simple phrase, number and symbol and remember the ordering, it’s all so easy to remember. Here, go ahead and practice one.

Phrase: Divi Dude is handsome

Number: 2018

Symbol: @

Did you get the password? (and no, the correct answer is not Betty).