To use a password manager safely, you need to know how to create a great master password. In my previous article, How To Manage Your Passwords, I discussed the importance of using strong and unique passwords. I also pointed out that a good password manager is the best way to safely create and use strong passwords. But the password manager uses a master password to protect all your other passwords. That master password needs to be strong. So, you need to make the master password something that’s easy for you to remember, but very hard for someone else to guess.
A good rule of thumb is to use a password that’s at least 10 characters long. The more characters the better. But, if you’re like most people, remembering a long password is really difficult.
The best approach I’ve found so far is to use a pass phrase for your master password. The pass phrase is a sequence of words that you can remember. The words can be a passage from a book you like, or the lyrics to a song, or anything other phrase that comes to mind. It just needs to be something you’re likely to remember but something others are not likely to guess.
For instance, let’s take the old typing drill “now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party“. This phrase is 64 characters long, too much! But it’s still useful. Just pluck out a portion of it. For instance, “now is the time” or “come to the aid” would be good alternatives.
To make the pass phrase even stronger, spice it up with some punctuation: “Come to the aid!”
To make it even stronger still, tack on something completely unrelated: “Come to the aid @ 1730“. For me this password conjures up the vision of a cold beer after a hard day at work. I can remember that! But it’s not very easy for a stranger to guess.
There are really great pass phrases all around you. Just pick a phrase you like, decorate it with a bit of randomness, and then you’ll have a great master password.
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