As password policies are getting tougher and tougher, many people are pondering how to create an easy to remember, yet a reasonably strong password. For some time I have been using the following algorithm. I do not think it’s perfect (so your suggestions are welcome), but so far (and I cross my fingers) it haven’t let me down.

The algorithm is as follows:

To generate an easy to remember, yet a relatively hard to break password, let’s do the following exercise. We take a famous quote and modify it in a way that it becomes if not a complete gibberish, but still not something easy to guess.

Let’s start with:
To be, or not to be: that is the question:

Because spaces and punctuation marks are usually not allowed in passwords, we substitute:
— Space, with _
— Comma, with %
— Colon, with #

So, we get:
To_be%_or_not_to_be#_that_is_the_question#

There are 42 symbols in this sentence. We divide it in three lines by 14 symbols each:

To_be%_or_not_
to_be#_that_is
_the_question#

Then, we shift them as shown and write down the sum of these three shifted parts:

The resulting password we got is:
Tt_oot__hbbeee_#%q__uoterhs_atntio_otin_s#

If your password policy requires to add numbers, you can use, for example generally accepted years of Shakespeare’s life:, that is (15)64-(16)16. Thus, our final password may look like:

Tt_oot__hbbeee_#%q__uoterhs_atntio_otin_s#6416

One may wonder, how to type such a complicated password. Nothing is easier. Type the first symbol or the first row, then hit RightArrow (->) twice. Then, the second symbol and, agan, the RightArrow twice. Repeat until done with the first part. Then, move your cursor to the second position in the password box, enter the first symbol of the second row, hit RightArrow twice. Repeat. Do the same with the third row. Add digits if necessary.

This type of password passes all usual verification requirements (long enough, contains small and capital letters, contains special symbols and numbers, does not contains meaningful words.) But if you feel that it’s too long, use a shorter sentence and, to facilitate entering, divide it it two, not three parts.