Want a great password? Use iambic tetrameter and rhyming program to create poem, researchers say
Many people could considerably improve their cybersecurity simply by following recommended password practices.
However, remembering a random string of letters and symbols isn’t easy, especially if the password is changed frequently.
Two researchers at the University of Southern California say they have created a system that helps individuals find passwords that are both hard to crack and easy to remember, reports a Wonkblog article published in the Washington Post (reg. req.).
Using a computer program that randomly generates poems in iambic tetrameter does the trick, according to Marjan Ghazvininejad and Kevin Knight. Based on a dictionary of 327,868 words, it offers individuals password options such as “Australia juggernaut employed the Daniel Lincoln asteroid.”
There’s just one problem that may require a bit more thought: Many websites don’t allow passwords of this length, although some are reconsidering because longer passwords are stronger, the article reports.
Could a random password poem, which can be obtained by emailing the researchers’ website, be whittled down to fit, through some personal process, without losing much of its strength?
Even choosing a random rhyming set of words is stronger than a single ordinary word, the article points out.
