In the ever-important realm of internet security, passwords are both a blessing and a hassle. With so many requirements, it’s no wonder most of us have a hard time remembering our encrypted secret codes.

Password must be at least 7 characters long and contain at least one of uppercase, lowercase and special character. Password may not contain in full or partial your username. You can not use a password that you have used in your past 5 password changes. Your password must be impossible for anyone anywhere ever to guess, hack, or otherwise figure out. Ever. In fact, make up a new word in a foreign language that has no meaning except in your own overloaded, confused and forgetful mind. And then remember it without writing it down or using it again for any other password-requiring login.

Yikes. With everything from your email, bank account, online photo gallery and favorite shoe store requiring a password these days, its easy to get them mixed up and confused. And while it’s tempting to use the same word in various forms for everything – Banana35, banana35, 35banana, bAnAnA1110435, and so forth – doing so jeopardizes the security of your online accounts, and can still be difficult to keep straight.

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