You probably have far more passwords than you realise: email, banking, shopping, social media, utilities, subscriptions and more. Trying to remember a different password for every account usually ends with the same password being reused — which is risky.
Here’s a much easier system:
- Use a password manager
A reputable password manager stores your passwords securely and can automatically fill them in when you log in. You only need to remember one strong master password. - Make your master password memorable, not complicated
Instead of something like P@55w0rd!92, use a long passphrase made from several unrelated words. For example, think of a sentence or phrase you can easily remember. Don’t use this example as your actual password. - Let the password manager create your passwords
For important accounts, generated passwords can be long, random and completely different from one another. You don’t need to memorise them. - Never reuse your email password
Your email account is particularly important because someone who gets into it may be able to reset passwords for your other accounts. Give it a unique, strong password. - Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA)
Whenever it’s offered, use it — particularly for email, banking, shopping and social media. Even if someone discovers your password, they’ll have another hurdle to overcome. - Stop storing passwords in obvious places
A notebook beside your computer, a note on your phone called “Passwords” or a document on your desktop isn’t a good solution. A password manager is considerably safer. - Don’t panic about changing every password regularly
You don’t necessarily need to change perfectly good passwords every few months. Instead, change them if you suspect an account has been compromised, you’ve shared the password, or a service has suffered a breach.
The simple rule to remember
One master password + a password manager + unique passwords + 2FA = much less to remember and much more security.
You don’t need a better memory. You need a better system.
