• Do not let anyone know your password - the obvious !
• Do not write it down or save it in a computer file
• Make it as long as possible and very hard to guess - the less logical, the better
• NEVER use the same password for anything - especially social web sites
  
  

• Never change your password if you receive an email asking you to: i.e. a Bank, a Postal Account, etc.
  
  Anything regarding money, cards, etc. - any request to update your details from a Email is FALSE
  
  Banks and other similar bodies will never email you - you either have to call your Bank and 'you know the drill' or you need to see them in person.
  Please also remember on the phone, the customer care line employees do not usually know your personal info and they ask you for 'partial info' because while calling they use a computer connected to their central database and their software only displays partial info which they must confirm with you before you can go on with your query - They need to establish it is you calling
  Never give full info, unless it is necessary and you have passed their verification first.
  
  
  
• It is advisable to change your password (the most sensitive accounts, at least) every 3/4 months - especially if you do not login very often - CHANGE IT NOW - do not wait !
  
  For online accounts, one obvious trick is to click on 'Forgot Password' and have it reset with a new one and it usually takes a few minutes - but first check if there are any other checks, as you may need some personal info already listed with your Bank or other similar body, for verification purposes - do not click it if you know it is going to be too difficult to reset it, but contact the Bank instead
  
  
  

Some of you probably have logins with the main social web sites like Twitter, My Space, Face Book and so on.

I bet at least half of you use the same password or a small variation of it - to remember it !
Am I right?

You have to know yourself first and then create passwords that are easier 'for you' to remember. We are not all the same and each of us has its own way of remembering passwords - just do not write or type them anywhere if possible.

It is really up to you to find the 'right method that works for you'

Well, the classic 5 to 8 digits password is more than old and if you find web sites asking for a max of 8, I should be concerned - avoid them.
Especially if they ask only letters and numbers and maximum of 8 digits.

Security conscious web sites usually ask you to create a password with a minimum of 8/10, up to 21 - that is good, even with only letters and numbers.

My suggestion is the longest you can remember and at least 15 digits - that should do for most cases, but things keep changing!

• a classic easy way for most of us is to spell a password (i.e the word 'everywhere') and changing vowels with numbers, i.e. 3v3rywh3r3
  
  
• you could use more than one word and make it a sentence like, Nice#weather#today and make some changes N1c3#w34th3r#t0d41 - remember to use 'some' CapItaL letters too
  
  
• removing letters from a well known (to you) word or sentence:
  rmvng instead of removing or rmvnglttrs instead of removing letters
  
  
• missssspell words ! - for example mistak instead of mistake
  
  
• long words like iamantisectarian - which is I am anti sectarian
  
  
• choose your way of using the above and even mix them: rmvNglttRs
  
  
  More examples:
  
  
• the word PACMAN very much used (!) you could change it to p4cm4n
• the word SANTANDER very much used (!) you could change it to 54nT4Nd3r
• the word ALTONTOWERS very much used (!) you could change it to 4Lt0nT0w3r5