Sunday, March 27, 2011


Can a Hacker Guess Your Passwords? Sila klik untuk maklumat lanjut

We use passwords so often that it's easy to lose sight of just how critical a password really is: one of the best defenses we have against cybercrime is often the one we take the least seriously.

After a hacking incident in 2009, InformationWeek analyzed the login information of the site's 20,000 users and found that most passwords were ones a hacker could guess in seconds. The most common passwords? 123456 and password.


Strong Passwords
Why you need strong passwords

It can be tempting to use an easy-to-remember sequence like a birth date or cell phone number as a password. But don't. Many systems have been broken into due to weak passwords, which are passwords that can be easily guessed or can be quickly decoded by a cracking program.



Tips for creating a strong password

4 Password Dos

Use long passwords. The longer your password is, the better. Use a password that has at least 8 characters, and for your high-security accounts, security experts recommend even longer passwords: at least 14 characters. (How can you remember 14 characters? See "Consider building passwords based on phrases" below for some ideas.)





4 Password Donts





Consider building passwords based on phrases



Here are a few examples of strong passwords built on phrases:

M2010nyri2l15# ("My 2010 new year's resolution is to lose 15 pounds")
Lmu?i:Wayd4o? ("Life's most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?")
Iw2Tls&cw2gb! ("I went to Texas last summer and can't wait to go back!")

Make any security questions strong, too

Automated password resetting is a process that lets you reset your password if you ever forget your current one; it's typically implemented by you setting up one or more security questions that you have to answer in order to gain access to your account. But if these questions are too simple, someone else may be able to easily guess the answers.

One example of this technique happened in 2008 when the email account of Sarah Palin, a nominee for Vice President of the United States, was broken into. The hacker was able to answer three security questions and illegally access Palin's email simply by researching her zip code, her birthday, and where she met her husband.


And remember–keep your passwords secret

The strongest of passwords won't protect you if others can readily access it. Have you ever seen someone's password written on a sticky note taped to their monitor? This is a bit like taping your car keys to the windshield—you can easily find your keys, but so can anyone else.

Here are a few tips on safeguarding your passwords:

Don't respond to any email that asks for your password or asks you to verify your password by sending it in. Reputable companies don't use email to ask their customers for this information.

When using public computers such as in airport lounges, internet cafes, and libraries, don't access any sites that require a password. In these insecure locations, hackers can easily capture everything you type using keylogging devices. (Read more about keyloggers.)

The old advice was to never write down your passwords, but with today's reality, you can end up with dozens of different passwords—and it's better to use multiple passwords than to just use the one or two passwords that you can memorize. So it's OK to write down your passwords: just be sure to keep the list in a secure place that others can't access, such as a locked drawer or a safe deposit box.







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