"How I'd hack your passwords", a blog from a security expert showing just how easy it can be to nab your secure passwords.
Normally, I'd have just skipped over it, but he pointed out a couple faux pas that I am guilty of (like, using the same password at a lot of different sites) and this chart showing you just how fast they can figure out your password. "
"Adding just one capital letter and one asterisk would change the [time it took to crack an 8 character password] from 2.4 days to 2.1 centuries."
Eeek. The whole article is here, but here are "Password Tips":
** Randomly substitute numbers for letters that look similar. The letter "o" becomes the number 0 -- or, even better, an "@" or "*" (for example, m0d3ltf@rd instead of modelTford) .
** Randomly throw in capital letters (Mod3lTF0rD).
** Think of something you were attached to when you were younger, but don't choose a person's name. Every name plus every word in the dictionary will fail under a simple brute-force attack.
** Maybe a place you loved, a specific car, an attraction from a vacation or a favorite restaurant?
** You really need to have different user name and password combinations for everything. Remember, the technique is to break into anything you access just to figure out your standard password, then compromise everything else. This doesn't work if you don't use the same password everywhere.
** Since it can be difficult to remember a ton of passwords, I recommend using RoboForm for Windows. It will store all of your passwords in an encrypted format and allow you to use just one master password to access all of them. It will also automatically fill in forms on Web pages, and you can even get versions that allow you to take your password list with you on your PDA, phone or a USB key. To download it without having to navigate RoboForm's website, try this direct download link.
** For Mac users I recommend 1Password (though RoboForm does also offer a Mac version). And I should also note that both of these applications have companion versions for iPhones and Android devices, so you can sync your passwords and take them everywhere you go.
** Once you've thought of a password, try Microsoft's password strength tester to find out how secure it is.
A Mother from Indiana ordered a cake for her daughter's college graduation and there was a little bit of a mix up on the phone! Instead of a CAP on her head she got a CAT! Check it out!
Read the full story...
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Saw this on MSN Money...
