Perfect Password: Selection, Protection, Authentication

"What is the key to coming up with a secure password? Length. Use 10 characters or more, says Mark Burnett, author of Perfect Passwords (Syngress, $26, amazon.com). "Best are passwords that consist of a few parts"―words, prefixes, spelled-out numbers. Good examples: bluebananas and skyisfalling. "They’re easy to remember, and when you’re prompted to switch your password, you can just swap out one chunk," he says. With this method, foursaltypeanuts becomes foursaltycashews."--Real Simple Magazine