How can you safely remember your passwords?

CBS News

13-05-2025

From emails to bank accounts to streaming services, it seems like everything requires a password nowadays.
It can be hard to keep track of them, especially after making a new one. Here are some smart and secure steps you should take to remember your password.
Having just two passwords is a low and risky amount, yet understandable given the annoyance that comes with keeping track of several of them.
Has this happened to you: You make a new password, but then you forget it. So, you reset it. But soon you forget that password as well, starting painful loop of repeatedly making new passwords that you struggle to remember.
"It's the number one reason that people end up creating weak passwords or reusing passwords," said Mark Sommerfeld. He's a managing partner at RYMARK IT Navigation.
How can we safely remember our passwords? For Sommerfeld, the answer is simple.
"The number one recommendation I would have is using a password manager app," he said.
Password manager apps encrypt your passwords so that only you can access them. They also create unique passwords for all your accounts. BitWarden, Dashlane, and LastPass are the apps Sommerfeld's company recommends.
Sommerfeld disagrees with the idea of using passwords that are familiar to you.
"When you're trying to memorize the password, now you begin making them easier, shorter. You maybe put your birthday, your pets name, something like that," he said.
By making a password easy to remember, you then make it easy to hack. Other mistakes include writing them down on a piece of paper. The paper could be lost or seen by someone else. Another bad idea is creating a digital document listing all your passwords, then storing it on your phone or computer.
How can you make a strong password? Best practices include:
Make it long, like 12-15 characters
Use numbers, symbols, and upper/lower case letters
Avoid using anything familiar in your life (pet names, sports teams, birthdates)
"If somebody can look at your Facebook page and get details about you, don't use any of those details that they would be able to find about you," Sommerfeld said.
Lastly, use two-factor authentication when possible, and specifically use app-based authentication.
"In the case where you password gets breached, hacked, or found there is a second layer protecting that account for you," said Sommerfeld.