Last circle of hell: Tracking all of our passwords

A couple of months ago, while settling the fare with a cab driver, my cellphone slipped out of my pants' pocket. I didn't ask for the receipt, and by the time I realized what had happened the cab was gone.

After kicking myself for not being more careful, I began the long, arduous task of resetting all of my passwords, for everything from to banking and social media to e-mail and travel apps.

I had trouble creating new passwords for some of the accounts, since I used an old e-mail address I no longer checked to register them. And since I hadn't used that e-mail account in years, I had, of course, forgotten the password.

I suppose that having to remember a gajillion different passwords is the price we pay in this digital world in order to have instant access to so much information. I also understand the need for digital security, given the well publicized breaches at US businesses such as Target and JP Morgan Chase.

I understand the need to password protect important information. But if I followed every bit of advice from authorities on making my passwords stronger, I'd have an even harder time remembering them.

For example, consider these tidbits from the US Federal Trade Commission on building a stronger password:

"The longer the password, the tougher it is to crack. Use at least 10 characters; 12 is ideal for most home users." (True, but I'd like to see someone try to crack the four-digit password used to open my iPhone)