How to ... create and remember passwords

In the age of the Internet, passwords have proliferated like bunny rabbits. In fact, the entire process of getting on and using the Internet is filled with passwords each step of the way. Logging in to a wireless or company network: Password please. Accessing e-mail: Enter password. Checking your bank balance: Type in password.

The same goes for shopping sites, buying movie tickets, even free sites like online newspapers if you want to check out past articles. Add to the information overload all the different user names you may be using for each site and you've got the perfect storm for frustration and chaos. OK, what's the password to get out of this mess?

Let's start with what you should not use. These include: Your name, your spouse's name, your pet's name, your phone number, your license plate number, any part of your Social Security number, anybody's birth date, any part of your address, simple patterns on the keyboard (example: 1234 or "qwerty"), or any of the above, with a single digit tacked on the end (example: "sarah1"). Some experts even go so far as to recommend not using any actual words from the dictionary.

So, now that the whole English language has been ruled out, just how the heck can you get your passwords in order.

Every "expert" has a different method for picking the ultimate password, but here are a few of our favorites.

Use the first letter of each word in a phrase you can easily remember. For example, "There's no place like Seattle in the summer" would be "TnplSits."

If you really want to use a name, such as "JohnJacob," try replacing the "o" with the two parentheses marks -- "(" and ")" -- so it would be "J()hnJac()b."

The longer the password, the better. It may take a second longer to type in, but it is harder to crack.

Also, keep your password secure, by changing it often, every 90 to 120 days.

-- getbuttonedup.com