Three random words
- Think of three words that have nothing to do with each other (or with you).
- Put them together with no spaces, for example applenemobiro.
- Use it for one account only. Make a new set of three words for each important account.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recommends this because long, unusual passwords are much harder to crack, and most of us can’t memorise lots of complicated ones full of symbols.
Writing it down is OK, says the NCSC, as long as you keep it somewhere safe, like a notebook at home rather than a note on your laptop.
What to avoid
- Common passwords like password or 123456.
- Birthdays and anniversaries, family or pet names, and your favourite team. These are often on social media.
- Swapping letters for numbers, like a zero for an “o”. Criminals know that trick, so it barely helps, and it makes the password harder for you to remember.
Your email needs its own password
If someone gets into your email, they can reset the passwords for your other accounts. So your email password should be strong and not used anywhere else. If you’ve used it elsewhere, change it as soon as you can.
Then add a second lock: turn on two-step verification.
Let your phone or browser remember them
A password manager stores your passwords safely and fills them in for you, so every account can have a different one. Your phone or web browser (such as Chrome, Edge or Safari) probably has one built in already. The NCSC says it’s safe to let it save your passwords on your own devices.
A bonus: it only fills your password in on the real website, which helps protect you from fake log-in pages.
Next: learn how to spot a scam text.
Sources
- National Cyber Security Centre (UK), Three random words, checked 11 Oct 2026.
- National Cyber Security Centre (UK), Use a strong and separate password for your email, checked 11 Oct 2026.
- National Cyber Security Centre (UK), Managing your passwords, checked 11 Oct 2026.