How to create a failsafe password you won’t forget

How to create a failsafe password you won’t forget

How many times a day do you use a log in name and password? Heaps right?

How often a week or even how often each day do you have to click ‘forgotten password’?  Often, isn’t it?

Do you often wish for an easy and secure way to file your passwords?

You are expecting an app aren’t you?  Our long term readers would know how much I love apps, and there is a TON of password apps out there that can be synced and encrypted and so on and so forth but I like to keep it simple so I am going old school mathematics.  No no not grid paper or note books – the secret to remembering your passwords is to use a FORMULA!

  i.e. circumference of circle is a formula I haven’t used in over 30 years yet it is ingrained in my memory never to be forgotten.  Well the same goes for my password…I have ONE, yes just ONE formula to remember (ok I lie I have 2 because I use one for personal use and one for business) but that is a ton less than I used to need to remember.

How does it work?

Simple!  Just come up with a combination of words, symbols and numbers that mean something to you or here it is written like a formula:

meaningful number + meaningful word + meaningful number 2 = your password

Remember password 101 rule of NOT using the obvious things like kids names etc still applies.

So now you are asking; “how do I come up with safe words and numbers to use in my password”?

Here are a few examples:

  • The numbers in your car rego plates + your first kindy teachers name + the street name and number of your childhood home e.g. 159huttonida8
  • The street number of your childhood home + your childhood imaginary friends name + your favourite ice cream flavour e.g. 8/69bootschocchip
  • The age you were when you met your partner + your favourite cocktail + the last 3 digits of your mums phone number e.g. 28mojito262

Getting the idea?

Did you notice in my formula I always had numbers first?  That is because more frequently now days you also need to include a symbol so I interchange the first digit of the number with the symbol corresponding to that number e.g. so if my password was 159huttonida8 it would now translate to !59huttonida8 in which case the formula should read:

meaningful number (first digit as symbol) + meaningful word + meaningful number 2 =

Need capital? – just add it to the beginning of the meaningful word e.g.

meaningful number (first digit as symbol) + Meaningful word + meaningful number 2 =

 To help tie it all back to the actual site I am logging into I also include the first two letters of the website address e.g. for eBay I add EB to my combination and the formula becomes:

meaningful number (first digit as symbol) + first two letters of web address + Meaningful word + meaningful number 2

Now that all might seem complicated right now – I sure can remember being baffled by the circumference formula when I first learned it!  But trust me, once you have used it a few times there is no turning back.

Of course I’m not saying that you should use these actual formulas, you need to create one for yourself that is relevant to you, easy to remember and produces a long, secure password.

These can actually be quite fun, if you would like to share some ideas with us comment below.

Have a magical day

Mara

3 Comments
  • Bec
    Posted at 11:18h, 08 May

    This is actually the Formula i have always used, we have multiple passwords (about 5 on the go) but all mean something to us, when people would look at me and think HUH?

    • thefilingfairies
      Posted at 11:20h, 08 May

      I think that’s great. 5 is a manageable number and these are safe and secure for your family

  • 4 main reasons one Filing Fairy is ditching digital | The Filing Fairies
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    […] Gone is the password keeper app – replaced by formulas – read How to Create a Failsafe Password You Won’t Forget.  […]