Government spy chiefs have warned complicated online passwords made of letters and special characters are “daft”.

Not only do most people forget the password but are they still vulnerable to hackers.

It’s recommended people choose three random words to make your online activity secure.

Dr Ian Levy, the technical director of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), said:

“Traditional password advice telling us to remember multiple complex passwords is simply daft.

“There are several good reasons why we decided on the three random words approach – not least because they create passwords which are both strong and easier to remember.

“By following this advice, people will be much less vulnerable to cyber criminals.”

The NCSC said hackers were savvy to typical password tricks like making A a 4 or S a 5.

A combination of three random words to create a password makes it harder for code-breaking algorithms to unscramble.