Use Scripture References for Easy-to-Remember, Secure Passwords

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MLH reader Blake Webster shares an excellent tip to easily remember passwords, while keeping them safe and secure, by not using the same one everywhere.

Hоw dоеѕ a password gеt hасkеd?

Cуbеrсrіmіnаlѕ have several раѕѕwоrd-hасkіng tactics аt thеіr disposal, but thе еаѕіеѕt оnе іѕ ѕіmрlу tо buу уоur passwords оff thе dark wеb. Thеrе’ѕ bіg money іn the buуіng аnd selling of lоgіn сrеdеntіаlѕ аnd раѕѕwоrdѕ оn thе blасkmаrkеt, and if you’ve bееn uѕіng the same раѕѕwоrd fоr mаnу years, сhаnсеѕ аrе it’s been соmрrоmіѕеd.

But іf уоu’vе bееn wise enough tо keep уоur раѕѕwоrdѕ оff the aggregated blackmarket lіѕtѕ, суbеrсrіmіnаlѕ hаvе to сrасk thеm. And іf that’s the саѕе, they’re bound tо use one оf thе mеthоdѕ bеlоw. According to companies like Fortinet, these аttасkѕ саn bе aimed at уоur асtuаl ассоuntѕ or роѕѕіblу at a leaked database of hаѕhеd раѕѕwоrdѕ.

The passwords that we create for email, Facebook, bank accounts, Twitter, etc. all need to have a certain amount of letters, one capitalized letter, and a number or two as well. In order to achieve an easy to remember password, as well as one that will not be easily predicted or guessed by others, I simply use a verse of scripture as my password. At first I started using my favorite verses or chapters, for example “Mosiah217” as in Mosiah, chapter 2, verse 17. Using a password like this fulfills all the requirements mentioned above – capitalized letter, certain amount of characters and a number or two.

One day I received a reminder that I should change my password on a regular basis. At that point, I started using passwords/scripture references of verses that I wanted to memorize. I would use a new verse as my password and would continue using that password until I had it completely memorized, at which point I begin using a new scripture reference.

This solution helps me to constantly remember the scripture(s) throughout the day and prompts me to review the verse that I want to memorize.

Do you find this method useful? Do you have similar methods for creating and remembering passwords?

8 comments
  1. Scripture reference passwords are dead-simple to break by hackers using a brute force attack. This is a very bad practice, especially for any account associated with the Church.

  2. I tried this a few years ago. The biggest problem for me was favorite scriptures change over time (read: I forgot it). My solution, and current password generating method, involves key words from my patriarchal blessing.

  3. I would suggest a variation that I believe would be more secure. Take a key phrase from the scripture such as " that ye may learn wisdom", have the first part of password be the chapter, the last part the verse, and the middle part the first letter of each word of your key phrase (choosing certain letter that you will always capitalize (such as I and Y)):

    Then you get: 2tYmlw17

  4. Like minded! I've been doing this for about a year, and it's great. I've done my own variation of what "kkp" recommended, just using the key phrase. Learned it while serving with a bishop whose notes in talks always concluded "itnojca" ("In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.")

    Anyone trying to steal your identity is NOT likely to think through scripture pharases as a method to discover your passwords! If they do, hopefully they'll feel prompted to change their mind in the process. ;P

  5. I have been using the same method for many years, and it works great. I have wondered if a brute force attack would work, but there are billions of verses to check, and I only use the method where my account will lock after x attempts. Also, even if I tell you “I Nephi, having been born of goodly parents”, how do you enter it? “1nephi11”, or “1ne11”, or “1Nephi11”, or “1Ne11”, or how I usually do it “1 Nephi 1:1” (I love using spaces, as they are special characters, and most people don’t think to use them, but most applications accept them.) There have been a few times where a family member has needed to log into my account, and I’ll give them explicit instructions, and they still can’t get it, which I take as indicating that it is a very strong password. For example, I’ll tell them “it is first nephi, chapter 1, verse 1, and I write it out just like you would in the Ensign, with capital letters, and spaces, so One, space, capital N, lower case ephi, space, one, colon, one”… It’s just too complicated.

    1. Thanks for the detailed reply Brian. As long as you use at least 16 (or maybe 18) characters, it should be brute-force proof. So if you combine the 1st letters of words in the verse, etc, you should be safe there as well.

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