It seems that absolutely everything, on and off the web, requires a password these days. There are some simple rules to abide by when creating passwords. Here’s how to create passwords that are a little safer.
When creating passwords, stay away from obvious personal information like your birthdate, kids birth dates, anniversary,address and pets names. Use multiple words and non-words, things that can’t be found in the dictionary. Back in 2011, my tech support expert told me that run-on sentences like ILIKETREES are good because a hacking program will have a harder time as this is a “word” not found in the dictionary, and hacking programs are not generally stopping to parse the phrase into words. But, time marches on, and the bad guys are constantly out there hacking.
Changing some elements of the word with capitals, numbers, or special characters, like ILIketr33s, is even better, but still relatively easy for you to remember. If you can remember passwords, or at least the few that you use most often, that will save you time.
When I signed up for a new password in 2025, Temple’s system provided this excellent guidance:
Passwords based on dictionary words, names or dates are not secure. Passwords based on a passphrase can be both strong and easy to remember. For example: “My aunt Mae was born in 1923”. By taking the first letter of each word, your password could be: “MaMwbi1923”. If you are using a common phrase such as “There is no such thing as a free lunch” replace at least one letter with a number, for example: “T1nst44fl”.
Computer experts would not recommend this, but in real life, consider having three different types or categories of passwords. The first type would be for high stakes sites like a bank account, PayPal, email account, or an encryption program. They should be pretty complex, very long, but still something that you can memorize. The second level would be for useful sites, perhaps those like computer support sites and other shopping sites you frequent. The third type of password could be almost a throw-away, something that you might use for a site you’ll never intend to visit again. Decide how much effort you want to put into each type of password, and design them as secure as you can for each level.
Now that you have your passwords, how do you organize them and where do you store them? Hint: a sticky note is not the best answer.
Digital password keepers have become the answer, and if you have an iPhone, you are probably already using the iCloud Password app (formerly called Apple Keychain). Read more about how this simple Apple Password app can make your life so much easier, even if you do most of your work on a PC.
If you suspect that a password is no longer secure, change it right away. Better to learn a new password than risk your digital safety.
Passwords are like underwear: don’t share and change them often.
