How to password

Welcome to life in the 21st century, where everything you touch, from the money in your pocket to the food on your plate, and even things you don't touch, like songs or movies streaming over the internet, comes with a password.

Having watched many people forget their Apple ID password over and over, and having watched carefully to make sure they were not simply making a mistaking typing, I realized what people needed was a pattern, or set of guidelines for remembering their passwords.
Speaking of remembering, people did not remember setting up their security questions when they forgot their passwords and had to answer them; some thought that Apple simply "knew" what their first car was.

I was always amused by the customers who were adamant they had not setup the security questions but when they tried to answer them, their answers were correct.  I guess you did setup those questions, huh?

My strategy for creating easy-to-remember passwords

Start with a concept or keyword for the website you're logging into.  For example, keywords you might associate with your Apple ID are Apple, iPhone, apps, music, or email.  Whichever keyword is the first thing you think of when you perform this task should be your keyword.

You would always use this word to describe the service your using or task you're performing, right? You'll use it forever.

...so, add "4ever" to your keyword, i.e. Apple4ever.

As password hacking and stealing has grown more frequent, it is more important than ever before to have a reliable means of not only remembering your password but also ensuring it will not be easy to guess.  12345678 and password123 are some of the most common passwords.  My strategy has adapted, adding an extra layer of security by using "Leet speak."

733t 5p34k?

"Leet speak" is the use of numbers and symbols that look like letters.  7 looks like an upside down "L", "3" looks like E, and so on.  Traditional Leet Speak is only numbers, but now keyboard symbols like $, @ or ! can be used in place of letters as well.

Apple4ever becomes 4ppl343v3r or @ppl343v3r

and we can add extra punctuation and capitals for good measure.  As a rule, I always capitalize "K" because it is my first initial.  I also capitalize the "R" in "4ever," start most passwords with $ and end with !

4pple4ever becomes $4ppl343v3R!

Those extra variations--symbols and capitals--add exponentially more complexity to your password, making it less likely for a person to guess and making it likely take significantly longer for a computer to "guess" it.

If you are interested in learning more about secure passwords, you may enjoy this presentation: How to Password pptx