How to Create Strong and Memorable Passwords with a Password Manager

• 09 Aug, 2023
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Passwords are a necessary evil in our digital lives. We all know that we need them to keep our online accounts safe and secure. But coming up with strong and memorable passwords is no easy task. Unless you're okay with using the same password for everything (which is a terrible idea), you're going to need some help. That's where password managers come in.

Password managers are standalone apps that not only generate strong passwords but also store them securely in a vault-like setup. They take the burden off your shoulders by handling multiple passwords for you. One such password manager is pCloud Pass. It not only generates dependable passwords but also offers military-grade encryption and works across all devices, browsers, and operating systems. With pCloud Pass, you can log in securely with just a single click. It's a small price to pay for convenience and security.

Using a password manager is a great way to take control of your passwords, especially if you have a lot of them to manage. However, most password managers require you to have one main password that keeps all your other passwords safe. So, it's important to come up with a strong and memorable password for this crucial task.

Creating a strong password that you can remember requires some careful thought. While there are random password generators available, many of them create passwords that are cryptic and hard to remember. If you can't remember your password, you'll have a hard time accessing your password manager in the first place.

So, how can you create a password that is both strong and memorable? One approach is to think long. Most experts recommend using at least eight characters for an average password. But if you want to enhance security, aim for around fifteen characters. Each additional character makes it harder for hackers to crack your password, especially when it comes to brute-force attacks.

Of course, the challenge is to make sure that a longer password doesn't become harder for you to remember. One popular method is to base your password on something familiar, like a song or a famous quote. You can even use a poem. The key is to blend that familiar element with hard-to-crack padding.

Let's take the song "For Those About To Rock" as an example. You can convert it into "f t a t r" and then add "We Salute You" to get "f t a t r w s y". To make it even stronger, mix in some upper and lower-case characters, such as "F t A t R w S y". You can also add special characters for good measure, like "F t A t R@w S y". If your password manager doesn't support spaces, you can substitute them with other characters. The idea is to create a password that is unique to you but not easily guessable.

Once you have a password in mind, it's important to keep it in your head. Remember the process you used to create it, rather than trying to remember the password itself. It's also a good idea to check the strength of your password using a reputable password checker, like the one provided by Kaspersky.com. This will tell you if your password is strong enough and if it has already appeared in a list of leaked passwords.

It's also important to remain vigilant and update your password from time to time. You can use the same thought process to create a new password, using another song or poem as inspiration.

If you find the process of creating a single master password daunting, you can consider using a passphrase instead. A passphrase is a combination of unrelated words that is easy to remember but hard to crack. If you have a hard time memorizing passwords, there are passphrase generators available online that can do the job for you.

In conclusion, creating a strong and memorable password is essential for protecting your online accounts. Using a password manager like pCloud Pass can make the process easier by generating and storing secure passwords for you. By following some simple guidelines, such as thinking long and blending familiarity with hard-to-crack padding, you can create a password that is both strong and memorable. Remember to remain vigilant and update your password regularly to stay one step ahead of potential hackers.