Most hacked accounts are not the result of genius hackers. They happen because people reuse short, predictable passwords. The good news: a strong password does not have to be impossible to remember.
What makes a password strong?
- Length – aim for at least 14–16 characters. Length beats complexity.
- Unpredictability – no names, birthdays, pet names or keyboard patterns like
qwerty. - Uniqueness – every important account gets its own password.
The passphrase method
Instead of a single word with symbols bolted on, string together four or more random, unrelated words:
- Pick 4–5 random words, e.g. violet, tractor, pillow, canyon.
- Join them with a separator:
Violet-Tractor-Pillow-Canyon. - Optionally add a number somewhere memorable:
Violet-Tractor-Pillow-Canyon-48.
That is 30+ characters, easy to picture as a little story, and far harder to guess than P@ssw0rd!.
💡 Tip: Picture a silly scene using your words (a violet tractor sleeping on a pillow in a canyon). Visual stories stick in memory.
Make one unique per site
Reusing even a great password is risky: if one site leaks it, attackers try it everywhere. The easiest fix is a password manager, which generates and remembers unique passwords for you. Then you only need one strong passphrase — the master password.
Turn on two-factor authentication
For email, banking and social accounts, enable two-factor authentication (2FA). Prefer an authenticator app over SMS codes where available. Even if a password leaks, 2FA stops most takeover attempts.
Quick checklist
- Use passphrases of 4+ random words
- Never reuse passwords on important accounts
- Store them in a password manager
- Enable 2FA on email first — it is the key to resetting everything else
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