Craft better passwords to fight identity theft - here's how

Here are some sobering statistics. Seven of every ten people use the same password for more than one web site they sign on to. 64% have written down their password at least once. A recent study found that 80% of Londoners have never changed their bank PIN. Women are twice as likely to choose the same PIN for multiple cards. Some 24% of us must remember five to seven passwords, while 12% need to recall more than 15. Another study found that 88% of respondents had forgotten a password within the past two years and had to request to have it reset.

What I see here is a vulnerability to identity theft, a threat ranging from annoying (trashing your Facebook page) to serious (accessing your bank accounts). So how can you tighten up your password creation without losing your mind? CSOOnline.com suggests this scheme: