Have Trouble Remembering Passwords? This Could Help.

As cybersecurity technology continues to improve with better firewalls, encryption, and EMV chip cards, it turns out passwords are often the weak link to our data and devices.  And those of us who still have weak passwords aren’t ignorant of what a secure password is; we just want something that’s easy to remember.

It’s time to finally adopt secure, unique passwords for all your cyber needs, but use these methods to help make them easier to remember.

• Chunking: It’s easier to remember things in small “chunks,” which is why we format phone numbers and social security numbers the way we do. Separate your new password into small chunks and it’ll be easier to remember too.
• Rote Memorization: We tend to remember things we’ve done over and over again, so after updating a password, log out and back in repeatedly until you feel like you could do it in your sleep.
• Mnemonics: If you’ve ever used ROYGBIV to remember the colors of the rainbow or the sentence “Every Good Boy Does Fine” to remember the musical notes on a treble clef, you’ve used mnemonics. With this method, you simply create a key sentence or phrase that coordinates with your password to make it easier to remember.
• Make it Musical: Ever wondered why it’s so easy to remember the lyrics to your favorite songs when you can’t remember what you had on your grocery list this morning? Adding a melody to your password can make it easier to remember too.

By Adam Lucas Adam Lucas holds a Finance degree and an MBA from the University of Kentucky. His work has appeared in many major outlets including Yahoo, AARP.org and GoBankingRates.com

Monday on the Money is a weekly commentary from Bank of the Ozarks providing financial advice and solutions important to you and your family.

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