With a simple memory trick and some effort you can create and memorize more than 100 solid passwords for all of your sensitive online information, Scientific American reports.
The magazine points to a study (paper embedded below) at Carnegie Mellon University that supports the idea that a "shared cues" system assists in the creation and memorization of alphanumeric passwords. The system helps to create passwords that a family member couldn't guess in five tries and that are too complex for someone to remember if they watch you typing.
How it works:
Imagine an interesting place and a famous person. For their example Carnegie Mellon researchers chose a baseball stadium and Bill Gates. Next, imagine an action involving the place and the person, such as "Bill Gates swallowing a bike on the baseball field." Then use the phrases you've created to generate passwords. You can combine the first three letters from "swallow" and "bike" to generate the password "swabik." String several such "words" together for added security.
In practice, Scientific American reports, the system might be replicated and simplified in an app that presents computer users with several familiar images, relying on the user to recall the associations he previously created between the images, thus remembering the passwords.