Password Ideas - What To Do And What Not To Do!

How difficult could it be to think up a list of good password ideas? 

A secure password is like a cryptocurrency hash – the more complex and random it is, the better security it provides. This piece will teach you how to develop solid password ideas to secure your social media and other personal accounts. 

Having your password hacked has significant ramifications for your digital security. Trust me – you don’t want to be on the other end of a security breach! 

That’s why I’ve written some creative password ideas for you to adopt. 

Let’s dive in!

How To Create a Strong Password

Although there are many different ways to create a good password, strength is always the primary goal.

A strong password is usually lengthy, consists of a mix of symbols, letters, and numbers and

has no ties to personal information.

The longer your password is, the less likely it is to be hacked. Linking it to your personal life is not your best bet. It doesn’t take a hacker to type some variations of your surname in the password bar.

However, you don’t have to think too hard to develop strong password ideas. You don’t need long strings of random symbols and letters. All you have to do is adhere to the tricks below.

6 Strong Password Ideas

This section will provide you with password suggestions to secure your accounts. 

There is no fixed rule for setting passwords. You can use anything you like, as long as it’s hard to guess or decipher. 

In addition, a good password should be easy to remember. Here are some smart password ideas that you can use:

Combine symbols, letters, and numbers

A good password should include a combination of numbers, symbols, and a minimum of 8 letters. A lengthy alphanumeric password offers maximum protection, especially if it doesn’t follow any logical sequence.

Trying to guess a logical statement is often the first method a hacker attempts, before

turning to a brute force attack.

A good combination of random letters and symbols, like O#mtYYN16b4)3#, is an excellent choice for a password.

Use a special phrase

A customized phrase is one of the good ideas for passwords, especially if it’s easy to remember. It can be a random catchphrase or something totally unrelated to your interests. 

Your custom phrases don’t have to make any logical sense. In fact, having them follow a logical sequence can compromise their strength. For example:

therearesevendaysinaweek (There are seven days in a week)

therearethirtydaysinaweek (There are thirty days in a week)

The latter password idea is more difficult to decipher because it’s not a logical statement. 

Be as random as possible

The more random your password is, the less likely it is for a hacker to crack it. 

Let’s use this as an example: 750hakhssoio8323’’0

Now, the password above is a completely random sequence. It makes no sense and consists of letters, numbers, and symbols. I literally closed my eyes and punched at my keypad to come up with it.

This kind of password is strong but unique password ideas are difficult to remember because they are so random. That’s where password managers come in handy.

Spell words with numbers and symbols

Now, this might seem difficult at first. But it’s one of the best creative password ideas. It involves partially spelling out a word with numbers and symbols. However, you have to be careful to use the correct number. Otherwise, you risk forgetting your password. 

Let’s look at some not-so-ideal examples:

ea$ydOes1T- easy does it

s^bmer8e- submerge

In the first example, the $ symbol replaces the letter s, while the number 1 replaces the letter i.

The second is a slightly better password suggestion. It uses the ^ symbol instead of the letter u and the number 8 instead of g.

You could argue that the number 8 doesn’t resemble the letter g, while the symbol $ perfectly replaces the letter s. But then, creating good password ideas isn’t about accuracy.

In fact, it’s better to use a substitute that does not visually resemble the character in the password!

For instance, if your password consists of numbers, it doesn’t really matter if the & symbol is closer to the number 8 than the letter g. All that matters is that you can link the letter with a number or symbol and vice versa.

For added security, it’s better to use a strong combination. All you have to do is find a mirroring equivalent for the sake of easy association.

Prioritize length over complexity

Here’s another rule of thumb when thinking up password ideas:

A lengthy password is much more secure than a short but complex one. 

Most cracking methods involve the application of mathematical algorithms. A password with more characters requires hundreds to thousands (even millions) of combinations before it cracks.

There are infinite ways you can combine the letters, numbers, and symbols on your keyboard.

Having a password that comprises all three can take an eternity to decipher.

Customized acronyms

This method is quite popular today, and for a good reason. It involves using only the initial letters in the words of a choice phrase. Again, your phrase doesn’t need to have any real meaning. 

You can mix letters, symbols, and numbers when forming custom acronyms. Examples of cool password ideas following this method are:

ig2w7d@w,ae0d (I go to work seven days a week and every other day.)

tgeje%.i@t0$1 (The goat eats junk every time. I am tired of seeing it.)

Although these passwords look very random, they will make sense to me because I came up with them.

Mistakes to Avoid

If I were a hacker trying to access your accounts, I would check for common errors before trying a computerized, brute force attack.

Let’s look at some of the typical mistakes people make:

• Using the same password for multiple accounts.

You wouldn’t want to make a hacker’s job easier. If you use all the same passwords, you open the door to all your accounts.

• Using personal information when looking for easy password ideas.

Don’t use your name, favorite color, surname, or anything even remotely linked to your personal life.

• Using substitutes that visually resemble the characters you want to replace.

Aim to find a substitute that’s easy for you to remember. Everyone knows that the $ symbol is commonly used instead of an S.

• Using predictable patterns.

Stay away from qwerty, password, 12345678, 00000000, password123, and other generic passwords. They are the easiest to crack.

• Using the same password for too long. 

No password is secure enough to withstand brute-force attacks forever. 

• Not going for complex password ideas. 

The easier your password is to guess, the more likely it is to be compromised. 

• Using a short password. 

Mathematically, a short password will require only a few combinations to hack. Ensure that your password is at least 8 characters long.

How to Further Improve Your Digital Security

As cybersecurity technology improves, so do the efforts and innovation of hackers. Email scams, phishing, and malware are just some of the means hackers use to steal your information.

Besides thinking up hard password ideas, you can adopt additional methods to protect yourself against malicious incursion.

One such method is to have a VPN service installed on your device. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It works by rerouting all your browsing/internet traffic through encrypted tunnels that provide maximum security and anonymity. 

ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, TunnelBear and Surfshark are some of the best VPN software you can use. They are available cross-platform as Android, Mac, iOS, and Windows apps. In addition, you can use them as browser addons for PC. 

Another viable option is to use a password manager. It’s a piece of software that stores all of your passwords in one place. The only unique password you'd need to remember is for the app itself. 

The best password manager apps can give you unique password ideas, storing them safely with high-grade encryption and multi-factor authentication. 

You can also upload copies of sensitive documents so that the app can protect them with military-grade encryption protocols.

Getting a password manager is not only secure; it's convenient. You'll no longer need a

text file with all your passwords. And you won't risk someone stumbling across it.

Wrap Up

It can be difficult to come up with passwords that are strong enough to withstand a hacker's attacks.

Nevertheless, if you follow the tips and avoid the mistakes I highlight in this article, you’d have a lot less to worry about.

Passwords are our main line of defense when it comes to online security. So, when looking for password ideas, remember to always use strong and unpredictable combinations. Having a professional tool like a VPN or a password manager can improve your digital security even further.