Inside the brain of a Geek: Are you part of the 41.69%?

While I hope your password is -  uz8I/.-X%QVopdM~wB0n#;"BH (Example 1)

The reality is that 41.69% of all passwords look like this – kittyhorse (Example 2)

Think of your password as a needle in a haystack. The complexity and length of your password determine the size of your haystack.  Example 1 would be like trying to finding a needle lost somewhere on Jupiter. Example 2 would be like trying to finding a needle you dropped on a white floor.

The mission is not to convert everyone to using randomly generated passwords but to make memorable passwords like “kittyhorse” more secure. Below is a three-step formula for converting “kittyhorse” from a 1.47-seconds hack to 1.74 centuries. Once you create a password formula use it over and over to create memorable and secure passwords.

Password example:  kittyhorse (hack time 1.47-seconds)*

Password example:  0kittyhorse* (hack time 3.76 years)*

Password example:  0kittYHorse* (hack time 1.74 centuries)*

So instead of trying to remember 0kittYHorse*.  I tell myself this story.  I’m a middle child and growing up I had a kitty but really wanted a horse.  I have a dog now and he was born in 2008.

*Calculated using the GRC's Interactive Brute Force Password “Search Space” Calculator.  https://www.grc.com/haystack.htm