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Q: Are passwords so complex I can’t remember them really more secure?

A: Nobody ever said you had to remember passwords. You just need to create strong passwords.

“Strong password” is a term defined differently by different government agencies, cybersecurity groups, and IT admins. For my clients, it is defined as:

  • Minimum of 15 characters.
  • Recommended but not required, a mix of upper, lower case, numeric, and special characters.

Now, I can barely remember where I parked my car, much less the 1,387 passwords in my life. But most people can remember two or three strong passwords.

Install and use a password manager. There are many to choose from. My personal preference is LastPass.

The password manager will remember almost all of your passwords and challenge questions for you. You just have to remember:

  • Your computer login password.
  • Your phone login password.
  • Your password manager password.

Now you can use ridiculously long and complex passwords, and have no need to remember them!