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LastPass - How to create a strong and memorable password

This document details strategies and directions for creating strong passwords and passphrases

Password creation advice has changed significantly over the years from:

Use irregular capitalization, special characters, and at least one numeral

To the current NIST (National Institute of Science and Technology) recommendation, which is to create a simple, but long passphrase. Passphrases are typical English words but linked together similar to a sentence. For example, creating a password as phrases of common words in uncommon combinations, such as:

speedy hot broccoli anteater

make your password much harder to crack. If the phrase produces a vivid image, or has meaning for you, it will be that much easier to remember. Here are more examples, such as your favorite things

  • 1938 Schwinn Paramount Bicycle
  • Porsche 911 1963
  • 1927 Chris-Craft Cadet
  • Cessna 172 Skyhawk
  • Good & Plenty Licorice Candy
  • Boni Giant Sengi
  • Northern Saw-Whet Owl
  • 1984 Stay Puft Marshmallow Man
  • Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island New York, NY 10004

Note – In most modern applications you can use spaces in your passphrase.

By creating a strong and memorable passphrase for your LastPass Master Password and/or for your NetID Login, you can then use LastPass to generate random, strong, unique, hard to remember passwords for each of the websites you use and you only need to remember a single strong passphrase.



KeywordsLastPass Lastpass lastPass Last Pass lastpass last pass password manager Enterprise enterprise Premium premium Free free faculty staff employee student create strong memorable unique howto how to passphrase generate random NIST nist NetID netid login Master master Password   Doc ID95032
OwnerPeter V.GroupCybersecurity
Created2019-10-16 14:20:56Updated2022-01-12 10:20:55
SitesDoIT Help Desk, Office of Cybersecurity
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