Dear Daughter, Here’s Why I Can Crack Your Passcode (And How to Avoid Her Mistake)
There are two things I’ve learned from live-hacking an audience member’s smartphone during my keynotes:
1️⃣ Most of our passwords are terrible.
2️⃣ One simple change can make hacking your phone as hard as scoring Taylor Swift tickets.
The Sleepover That Changed Everything
I didn’t set out to become that dad—you know, the one who freaks out teenagers by hacking their phones at sleepovers. But one night, when my daughter and her friends were busy scrolling and texting, I pulled out a little party trick that I spent hundreds of hours developing: cracking one of their smartphone passcodes.
Cue the gasps. The wide eyes. The sudden clutching of phones like they were life support.
Why? Because I showed them in real-time that once I was in, I could do everything—bank as them, text as them, be them. And that hit different.
The same thing happens during my keynote when I “hack” an audience member’s smartphone. It’s one thing to hear about security threats; it’s another to feel how vulnerable you really are. But here’s the good news: fixing this is easier than you think.
Upgrade Your Passcode to a Passphrase
Instead of a weak four-digit PIN (which, let’s be honest, is probably your birth year backwards), switch to a passphrase—something longer, easy to remember, and way harder to crack.
Example:
🚫 1234 → 10,000 possible combinations (AI can crack this in seconds)
✅ ! L0v3 D@d → Over 60 quadrillion combinations (Good luck, hackers!)
How to Set It Up
🔹 iPhone Users: Here’s how to create a stronger passcode
🔹 Android Users: Check with your phone manufacturer for instructions
And don’t forget: Make sure someone you trust knows your passphrase in case of an emergency—store it securely in your password manager so you don’t forget it either!
Bonus: Lock Down Your Online Accounts
Your phone’s passphrase is just the start. For online accounts, ditch passwords entirely and switch to passkeys—they’re easier and more secure. Check out our video on passkeys here.
Because keeping your data safe shouldn’t be harder than getting into a Taylor Swift concert. 😉
Sleep tight, and stay secure! 🔐
