Fed up with forgetting that all-important jumble of letters and numbers to access your accounts? Then follow our guide... it’s The last WORD in remembering PASSWORDS
THE password is a scourge of the modern world. It is required for everything from using a laptop to dealing with the bank or buying items online. Here, The Mail on Sunday seeks advice on how to create codes that fraudsters should not be able to crack. WE MUST remember a mind-boggling array of passwords and PINs to survive the technological challenges of the 21st Century.
According to credit-checking agency Experian most of us use at least two dozen of these online codes on a daily basis.
They are required not just for regular tasks, such as getting in to a computer, paying a utility bill and online shopping. But they are also necessary for using mobile phones, chatting on social media, club memberships and watching online TV.
It is not surprising a majority of us struggle to juggle different passwords in our head. Indeed, a quarter of us forget at least one login detail every day. This means we often adopt easy-to-remember ‘weak’ passwords that use familiar names such as a beloved pet or a family member.
Security experts believe this is a dangerous strategy and a relatively easy one for criminals to crack. It is suggested ‘strong’ passwords of up to a dozen characters randomly chosen – letters, numbers and even symbols – offer much better security.
Three-quarters of us also use the same password for more than one account. But to stop fraudsters getting hold of your details it is recommended each service you use has its own password.
There are ways you can create and remember secure passwords – in imaginative ways that will not leave you worried or with a headache.
STOP PEOPLE READING YOUR MIND
THE average password is not as safe as you might imagine with a third of us using something personal, such as a date of birth, maiden name, address, pet’s name or close member of the family. This means a criminal could quickly unlock your secret passwords. Magician and men- talist Katherine Mills says: ‘I like to get inside people’s heads, using a combination of psychology and sociology to read their mind. Using tricks of the trade you would be surprised at how easy it is to crack a password and that is why it is vital you only use a random code.’
The magician, who has her own TV show Katherine Mills: Mind Games on cable channel W, is not keen to divulge how she can crack codes. But she admits there are ways passwords can be ‘seen’ through facial and body movements in response to subtle questioning.
The Magic Circle member says: ‘Unfortunately, when it comes to thinking of a password far too many of us use ones we feel are safe but are commonly used – mothers’ maiden names, children’s names and sequences such as 123456. One of the most popular ones adopted is the actual word password.’
Other obvious combinations to avoid include ‘qwerty’ – a line of letters on the top left corner of a keyboard – and using the same number such as ‘1111’.
Pickpocket entertainer James Freedman agrees being random with your password choice rather than using something familiar is essential.
Freedman, a UK fraud prevention adviser for the City of London Police, says: ‘Understanding the psychology of the bad guy can stop you becoming a victim.
‘Look at the fingerprints you leave behind about your identity on the internet. Social websites and other sources can divulge family information, address details, holidays and work facts. They will provide a jigsaw that when pieced together can give a thief the tools to possibly work out your password.’
He adds: ‘Remember, the easier the technology is to use, the easier it is to abuse. You would be surprised how many people also keep details of their PIN numbers and passwords in a wallet or purse. Once a pickpocket gets this, it unlocks a mass of private information about you.’
Freedman, who starred in his own West End magic show, Man Of Steel, a couple of years ago, believes there is nothing wrong with writing down passwords in case they are subsequently forgotten. But he says this should only be done if they are kept somewhere safe and also written down in a code form to make them difficult to crack.
DEVELOP BETTER MEMORY SKILLS
MR MEMORY was a secret agent in the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock movie thriller The 39 Steps who had incredible skills at memorising information.
Although he was a fictional character played by James Hayter in the 1959 remake, mnemonist Dominic O’Brien is a modern-day equivalent with astonishing memory skills. As eight-times World Memory Champion and in the Guinness Book of Records for memorising the sequence of 54 packs of playing cards, he has the ability to remember hundreds of passwords.
O’Brien says: ‘If you can remember your own name, then you can remember a password or PIN. All that is required is imagination. For example, “My Name is Dominic”. I add up the number of letters in each word of this simple sentence to make 2427.’
He adds: ‘When it comes to passwords it is a matter of making an image in your mind and then turn-
ing this into a sequence of pictures to create a mini-journey. If these are linked to a location it will help you remember what a password is for – enabling you to hold a range of secret codes in your mind rather than repeating the same one.’
An example he gives is using a password for a gym membership that might involve an image of you going on a journey to this gym.
Perhaps you could imagine driving yourself there in an Alfa Romeo car and turning on the stereo which is blaring out a hit by 1980s band ABC – a memorable favourite such as Poison Arrow.
You could then envisage an American footballer from the San Francisco 49ers sitting in the back seat. On your way to the gym you also pick up Prime Minister Theresa May from her home at 10 Downing Street as she is also keen to start on a fitness regime.
From this visual image you can come up with the password ARABC4910. A tough code to crack, but with strong imaging one that is easy to remember.
O’Brien says: ‘Let your imagination run riot – it helps when trying to remember passwords.
‘If you regularly have to change a password then perhaps you could visit a library in your imagination and pick out a different book when it is time to come up with a new code. Your imaging should have a combination of three elements – association, location and imagination. Together these stand for Ali – a boxer who packed a punch.’ The mnemonist points out that although these are useful tips that can help boost memory skills, you still need to concentrate your mind. He has written several books on improving memorising skills, including How To Develop A Brilliant Memory.
CONSIDER USING SOFTWARE
A SO-CALLED password manager is software that allows you to store secret codes in an online bank vault. The codes are encrypted so no one else can read them.
When you visit a website that requires a password you simply press on a security button logo provided by the password manager that should appear in the corner of your computer screen. It should then automatically fill in the secret details on your behalf.
There is a wide selection of password managers from which to choose and many are free. Unfortunately, not all the software available is necessarily going to be compatible with your computer or operating system.
For example, password manager Norton Identity Safe works only with PCs and not Macs. RoboForm can be difficult to work on the operating system Google Chrome but should be fine on Firefox. Although it can take time to get to grips with security software, it will cut out the hassle of remembering passwords.
Sian John, a strategist at online security company Symantec – owner of Norton software – says: ‘You may not think you have a problem remembering your passwords right now, but as time goes by you will inherit more that must be remembered. A password manager overcomes this challenge.’
John says a master code at least eight digits long is needed to unlock the online vault – and this must be changed every three to six months.
She adds: ‘If you lose a master password then you will be in serious trouble, so make sure it is etched in your brain. But in an emergency, the software company should be able to help.’
Among the most highly rated password managers are LastPass, Dashlane, RoboForm, KeePass, Sticky Password, 1Password and Norton Identity Safe. These all have basic free options that allow you to try them out at no cost. It is often a case of personal preference as to which one feels right for you as they tend to offer a similar service. But be aware that once signed up they may try to reel you in with a more comprehensive ‘premium’ service, perhaps offering unlimited password syncing between devices such as smartphones and laptops. This can cost up to £30 a year – but if it keeps passwords secure, it will be money well spent. John says: ‘When choosing a password manager it is worth finding where all your encrypted secrets are going to be stored. You don’t want to keep them on a laptop or phone as these can get lost or stolen. You are better off having them kept in a so-called “cloud” – an internet storage facility.’ Improved technology is also helping with a range of biometric passwords that include voice recognition and fingerprint comparisons.