Reset Your Password

Security breaches have become a common occurrence in our society. From Target to Home Depot, it seems that the news feeds are filled with victims of data hacks. With credit cards being the lifeline in many lives, it is important to change your password frequently (at least every 90 days).

The problem with changing passwords is that we have so many to keep up with. Bank accounts, online shopping resources, and bill payments require secure passwords that can stand up against hackers. The problem is trying to keep up with the obscure yet secure password can be challenging. Here are a few tips on how to create a secure password system:

1. Use Acronyms.

Create a phrase that is easy to remember such as I like to eat Oreo cookies at night Use the first letter of each word in the phrase: IlteOcan (notice that I have both lowercase and capital letters in the phrase).

2. Replace a Letter With a Number or Symbol.

For the phrase I like to eat Oreo cookies at night (or IlteOcan) you can replace a 1 for the I and a @ symbol for the word at. This would make the password 1lteOc@n.

3. Put the Month in Front of the Phrase.

Coming up with a new phrase each month can be difficult to remember. In order to not come up with a new phrase every time you could put the number of the month in front of the phrase. For example, if you create the password in May you could have 051lteOc@n and then simply replace the number to 06 for the password change. We are all trying to manage to our passwords while making sure the password is secure. Finding a solution that works for you is worth the mental energy. So I challenge you to find a system that works for you, tweak it with numbers and symbols, and figure out your system for changing the password without changing the phrase. Ready, set, go.