HOW TO CREATE A STRONG PASSWORD

Before we begin, we must be clear on one major expectation: there is no such thing as a perfect password. A committed hacker can crack any password, given enough time and the right "dictionary" or "brute force" tools. But just like breaking into a car, if the protection is strong enough, the hacker will become discouraged and commonly give up before the protection fails.

In this tutorial below, we will explain how to create a password that:

 1) is not a word in the dictionary, nor a proper noun; 

 2) is complex enough to foil repetition attacks; and 

 3) is intuitive enough for you to remember.

1.  Start With a Base Word Phrase.

A good password is at least 8 characters long, and once it reaches 15 characters, it becomes particularly resistant to hackers and their dictionary programs.

To help build your password, start with a base word phrase. A useful approach is to choose a memorable catchphrase, quotation, or easy-to-remember saying, and take the first letter from each word. Choose a phrase that is memorable to you.

Examples of some base word phrases:

Can't See the Forest Through the Trees:  cstfttt
Put Up or Shut Up:  puosu
If the Shoe Fits, Wear It:  itsfwi
You Can Lead a Horse to Water:  yclahtw
The Last Mile Is Always Uphill: tlmiau
I Think, Therefore I Am:  ittia
Oh Say Can You See:  oscys
Honey Badger Doesn't Care: hbdc
Suggestion: try this list of texting acronym phrases you could use for inspiration

Suggestion: try this list of famous quotations and catchphrases

2.  Lengthen the Phrase
Because passwords become particularly strong at 15 characters long, we want to lengthen your pass phrase. This 15 character goal is because Windows operating systems will not store passwords at 15 characters or longer.

While a long password can be annoying to type, a long password really helps to slow down brute force hacker attacks.

Tip: lengthen your password by adding a special character, then the website name or a favorite number to the base phrase. For example:

cstfttt,Gmaildotcom
puosuVista
itsfwiEpinions
yclahtwWin7
tlmiau.8675309
ittia#Aboutdotcom
oscysPayPal
hbdcEbaymarket

3.  Swap In Non-Alphabetic and Uppercase Characters

Password strength increases significantly when you change some of the password letters into non-alphabetic characters, and then include uppercase and lowercase letters within the password. This 'character scrambling' creatively uses the shift key, numbers, punctuation marks, the @ or % symbols, and even semi-colons and periods. These unusual characters and numbers make your password even less predictable to hackers using dictionary database attacks.

Examples of character scrambling:

Cstfttt,Gm@ildotcom
Puo5u.Vista
1tsfwiEpinions
Ycl@htwWin7
7lmiau.8675309
ittia#Aboutdotcom
o5cysPayPal
hbd(Ebaymark3t

4.  Lastly: Rotate/Change Your Password Regularly

At work, your network people will require you to change your password every several days. At home, you should rotate your passwords as a matter of good computer hygiene. If you are using different passwords for different websites, you can do yourself a favor by rotating portions of your passwords every few weeks. Note that rotating parts of the password, not the entire passwords, will help deter hackers from stealing your phrases. If you can memorize three or more passwords at the same time, then you are in good shape to resist brute force hacker attacks.

Examples:

hbd(Gm@ildotcom
Cstfttt.Vista
Puo5uEpinions
1tsfwiWin7
Ycl@htw.Mac
7lmiauAboutdotcom
ittiaPayPal
o5cysEbaymark3t

5.  Further Reading: Advanced Password Tips

There are several other resources for building strong passwords.

See more samples of strong passwords here.
You can view other About.com reader personal password suggestions.
Stephen Chapman has a free password generator you can use online.
There are multiple drag-and-drop software tools that help you bypass hacker keylogger software.  Tools like: KeyWallet Password Manager, KeePass, and Roboform work well because you can avoiding typing your passwords entirely, and just let your mouse do the data entry.
You can also employ a digital vault like Password Safe. This kind of software creates personal "lockers" to keep all your passwords locked under a master password, Like:-
Try Mary Landesman's phrasing tips for password generation.
How to Make a Killer Password.
Lastpass Password Manager
Network Password Recovery
Password Vaulting.

Courtesy: 

By Paul Gil, Internet Basics Expert
September, 2015