How many usernames and passwords do you have? Probably dozens. Maybe even more than a hundred. You have passwords for your work and home computers, one for online banking, Amazon, iTunes, Facebook, your personal Gmail account, your online news sites, your photo sharing site and the list goes on and on.

Because of the plethora of passwords we have to create, most of us tend to select just one or two so we can try to remember them. Or, we end up writing them down. Neither of those are probably good options. A simple password means asking someone to hack your Facebook account and send strange messages to all your friends. And if you write all your passwords down, you never know when that list might get lost or stolen.

So, how do you create a strong password – and how do you remember it?

• Make your password long. A short password, such as “Fido,” is easy to crack.
• Use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols.
• Create a system in which you replace letters with numbers. For example, use “3” in place of the letter “e” or use “0” in place of the letter “o.” You can use a system that works for you so it’s easier to remember.
• Avoid obvious passwords, such as your birth date, your child’s name or some variation of your name (your middle name or maiden name, for example).
• Don’t use the same password for every account.
• Change your passwords regularly.
• Be cautious of online password-keeper websites. Yes, this is a great way to manage your many passwords, but if someone hacks that site, that person has access to everything.
• If you do write your passwords down, make sure you keep them in a secure location. Avoid writing down passwords for particularly sensitive websites, such as your bank.

Check out this article from Microsoft for additional tips on generating passwords and password safety. Also, this article has tips on how to remember passwords as well as suggestions for password management systems.