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This wikiHow teaches you how to create a password that is hard for others to guess. Passwords should be hard to guess because there are hackers out there!
Steps
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Know what to avoid. Before figuring out what you want to put in your password, here are a few things that you shouldn't put in your password: [1] X Research source
- Pet, family, or friend names
- Words that appear in the dictionary (e.g., "c@stl3" is fine, while "castle" is not)
- Personal information (e.g., your phone number)
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Understand the components of a good password. Including all of the following components in your password will make it very difficult for someone to crack it: [2] X Research source
- Both upper- and lower-case letters
- Numbers
- Symbols
- At least 12 characters
- Not easily decipherable as a real word or phrase upon first glance
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Consider common password strategies. If you don't have your own method of creating a memorable password, you might want to try one of the following:
- Removing the vowels from a word or phrase (e.g., "my favorite movie" becomes "mfvrtmv").
- Shifting your hands when typing (for example, using the motion that you'd use to type "wikiHow" with your hands shifted down one row on the keyboard).
- Doubling your password (e.g., creating a password, typing a space or a separating character, and retyping the password).
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Pick a compound word or phrase that stands out to you. You most likely have several words, a phrase, a title (e.g., an album or a song), or something similar that stands out to you for some reason. Such words/phrases make great password bases because they're emotionally relevant to you, but not anyone else.
- For example, you might pick the name of your favorite song from a specific album, or your favorite phrase from a specific book.
- Make sure that you don't pick a word or phrase that people know you like.
EXPERT TIPTechnology SpecialistBrandon Phipps is a Technology Specialist based in Bakersfield, CA. He is the owner of Second Star Technologies and specializes in Managed IT Services for small and mid-sized businesses in Bakersfield, CA. With over 23 years of experience, he offers expert cloud computing, cybersecurity, and network management solutions. Brandon is a committed community member and coach who leads and innovates in tech and sports coaching. His dedication to local businesses and communities is evident in his hands-on, tailored approach to IT solutions.Use a passphrase for better security. A passphrase is a password consisting of at least 14 characters inspired by phrases meaningful to you. For example, transform the sentence "I eat ice cream in summer" into "!8!ceKRAM!n$umm3R." You'll remember your passphrase easily while keeping your data secure.
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Select a password strategy. You can apply one of the common password strategies mentioned above (removing vowels), or you can select your own.
- Some experts even recommend finding several random words and stringing them together without modifying them past that point.
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Substitute your favorite numbers for letters. If you have a favorite number or two, replace a couple of letters in the password with them.
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Add a character that you like to your password. If you have a favorite character on your keyboard, replace a letter with it, or add it to the beginning of the password to help remember it.
- Most services require this step when creating a password.
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Add an abbreviation for your password's service. For example, if the password is for your work email address, you might add "work email" (or "wrk ml", etc.) to the end of the password. This way, you can use the same base password for most services without repeating the exact password anywhere.
- It's incredibly important not to repeat your password more than once (e.g., don't use your Facebook password for your email account, etc.).
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Consider doubling your password. If your password is only at 8 characters and your selected service (e.g., Facebook) allows for 16 or more characters, simply type the password twice.
- For added security points, hold down the ⇧ Shift key while typing the second half of the password (e.g., "h@r0ldh@r0ld" would become "h@r0ldH@R)LD").
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Create variations of your password. While adding an abbreviation to the end of your password will help you remember a specific service's password, you'll eventually need to change your passwords altogether. If you're happy with your current password, try typing the password while holding down the ⇧ Shift key, or capitalize random letters.
- If you replaced any letters with numbers, you might switch back to using letters and use numbers for different letters in the password.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionIs it good to have multiple passwords?Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.Sure it is! My recommendation is to have two or three "main" eight digit passwords, with uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters. If you only have one password for everything and something happens with it, it would be a hassle to change it.
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QuestionWhat is a good way to create a password?Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.I actually believe using a password manager to generate and protect new passwords is a good practice. This way, you'll only need to worry about the password to access the manager, and it would deal with everything else.
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QuestionWould it be helpful to write my password on a piece of paper?WikiHowUser20170728202545Community AnswerYes, but only if you have a place to keep it that no one will find it. Make sure you write it clearly so you can distinguish between similar symbols, like zero and a capital letter O.
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Tips
- If you say the letters or numbers to yourself as you type them you will begin to get a rhythm; this will help you to memorize it.Thanks
- You might combine several of these methods and still come up with a truly memorable yet very strong passphrase.Thanks
- The most secure passwords contain lowercase letters, capital letters, numbers, and symbols. Make a standard of holding down shift for the first four characters, or characters three through seven, or whatever you like. You won't have to stop and remember.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Put your last name and then your first name, maybe with another relevant word in-between to make your password more secure. For example, "Falcone24Kelsie" if you're 24 and your name is Kelsie Falcone.
- Choose an important place to you, like Vail, and intersperse it with letters: "1v2a3i4l." This password is short, secure, and memorable.
- Use letters with accents. For example, instead of CatDog, you could do ÄŒåtDõg or ÄŒatDog.
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Warnings
- Do not use any of the passwords that are shown as examples on this site! Someone might see this too, and might guess yours. Make up your own!Thanks
- Do not use any number that is a matter of record, such as phone, address, and Social Security numbers.Thanks
- Make sure you're not reusing passwords. It may be tempting to only use one or two passwords for all of your logins, but you should have different passwords for everything, particularly anything linked to personal or financial information.Thanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about creating a good password, check out our in-depth interview with Luigi Oppido .
References
About This Article
Article Summary
X
1. Avoid dictionary words, names, and personal info.
2. Combine two or more uncommon words.
3. Remove vowels or consonants.
4. Substitute numbers for letters.
5. Replace some letters with numbers and symbols.
6. Add an abbreviation for the service at the end.
7. Double the password if less than 8 characters.
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 937,163 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "All of this was helpful, my problem was remembering my passwords. I now may be able to keep the same pass words but change them, because now remembering them will be easier because I already know it." ..." more
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"All of this was helpful, my problem was remembering my passwords. I now may be able to keep the same pass words but change them, because now remembering them will be easier because I already know it."
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"I've been frustrated trying to create passwords that I could remember, yet fearing if I wrote them down, someone could find them. This article gave me an easier technique. "
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"You helped me by showing me that I may take the password that I'm using now and change it to make it stronger and safer. Thanks so much for all the help!! "
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"Being an older person - I found your suggestions very helpful as we do not tend to think outside our normal. Highly recommend your help. Thank you."
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"I liked the idea of creating a password that will be easy to remember. The hints given were most helpful."
