Home > Empowering Tips > Create Strong Passwords with Creative Ways

Passwords are the gatekeepers to our digital lives, protecting everything from our online banking to our social media accounts. While it’s essential to choose strong, unique passwords, it’s equally important to make them memorable so you don’t forget them. Here are some creative and functional tips to help you create passwords that are both secure and easy to remember:

1. Create an Acronym from a Sentence

Make a sentence like “My first car was a red Ford from 2002.” Turn it into an acronym: MfCwaRFf2002.

This method helps to create a long password with mixed-case letters, numbers, and possibly special characters.

2. Combine Two Unrelated Words

Take two unrelated words and blend them with numbers or symbols. For example, “Pizza” and “Lamp” could become P1zz@L@mp.

Adding randomness like this makes the password harder to crack while still memorable.

3. Use Song Lyrics or Book Quotes

Pick a favourite song lyric or book quote and take the first letter of each word. For example, “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are” could become TtlsHiWwyA.

To make it stronger, introduce numbers and symbols randomly or substitute some letters.

4. Keyboard Patterns with Complexity

Use a pattern on the keyboard that isn’t straightforward, like a zigzag or diagonal movement. For example, a pattern like qAzxDr%6y.

Avoid common sequences (e.g., “123456” or “qwerty”) and make sure to add upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

5. Add Personal Touches That Aren’t Obvious

Use details that only you know but aren’t easily found in your personal information. For example, combine the street number of your childhood home with your pet’s name but use variations like Fluffy!17&.

6. Leverage Mnemonics

Create a memorable password using a mnemonic that’s meaningful only to you. For example, the phrase “I visit my grandma 3 times a year” could turn into IVmG3taY!.

Best Practices for Strong Passwords

• Avoid personal information like birthdays, names, or easily guessed words.
• Refrain from using easily guessed words like “password”, “123456”.
• Don’t use predictable keyboard patterns (like “qwerty”) or sequential numbers (like “1234”). These can be easily guessed or cracked.
• Use at least 12 characters with a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special symbols.
• Avoid reusing passwords across multiple sites. If one account is compromised, others can be at risk.
• Whenever possible, add an extra layer of security by enabling two-factor authentication, which requires a second verification step (like a text message or authentication app) in addition to your password.
• Change your passwords regularly and never reuse them across multiple accounts.
• Always log out of your accounts when using public or shared devices to prevent unauthorized access.