How I Got Your Password – Part 1

In our last post we looked at the frighteningly short amount of time that it takes to crack a typical password.  Today we will look at all the different password cracking methods that a clever attacker can use to compromise your password, and how to defend against these attacks.

Password cracking

There are several types of automated password attacks that can be combined to make the process quicker, or to configure for a certain type of password attack.

  • Dictionary attack – This is ...
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15
JUN
0

Computers and Internet, cybersecurity, passwords, Phishing, Security, social engineering

Most Passwords Can Be Easily Cracked

Did you know that the most popular passwords can be cracked in minutes?   And that passwords with 8 characters or fewer can be cracked in a few seconds?  This is why I say that passwords by themselves are no longer a useful form of security.  Today is the second of a five part series on password security, and focuses on the methodology used by password cracking software programs.

Cyber-criminal groups who specialize in password cracking generally harvest huge lists of user ...

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13
JUN
0

Computers and Internet, cybersecurity, encryption, passwords

Why Passwords Are A Soft Target

I have said it before, and I will repeat it now:  passwords by themselves are no longer a useful form of security.  The only option that makes passwords secure is two-factor authentication.  Today we embark on a two week investigation into passwords, why they are so easy to break, how your password might be compromised, and how to create a password system that is less vulnerable to exploitation.

Why are passwords so easy to crack?  Some of the answers we have ...

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11
JUN
0

Computers and Internet, cybersecurity, passwords

Where Does Cell Phone Location Data Go?

Have you ever wondered what happens to the location information your smartphone is collecting about you?  Who has access to that information, and for what purpose?  As it turns out, as told in a recent report by Brian Krebs, this information is available to pretty much anybody.

A related article in Sophos’ Naked Security blog pointed to a ...

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8
JUN
0

Android, Apple, Computers and Internet, cybersecurity, Identity Theft, smartphones, Software vulnerability

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Android Things Promises to Close IoT Security Holes

IoT or the Internet of Things has been to this point a seriously unsecured cluster-flop for the most part.  Millions of insecure devices are in our homes and businesses, and these devices may be eavesdropped, recording audio or video, performing a DDoS attack, or being leveraged as an easy access pivot point into your network for further exploitation

Thankfully, progress is being made ...

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6
JUN
0

Android, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, Security

Weekend Update

A quick Saturday digest of cybersecurity news articles from other sources.

Securing Mobile Devices During Summer Travel

05/25/2018 01:27 PM EDT  Original release date: May 25, 2018

As summer begins, many people will travel with their mobile devices. Although these devices—such as smart phones, tablets, and laptops—offer a range of conveniences, users should be mindful of potential threats and vulnerabilities while ...

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2
JUN
0

cybersecurity, Facebook, Weekend Update

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The Role of the IC3 in Cybercrime Prosecution

If your business has been the victim of a cybersecurity incident, data breach, or other cybercrime, you may have had to decide whether to keep the incident to yourself, or report the crime to the police.  If you carry cyber insurance, reporting the crime is a requirement to file an insurance claim.  So you called the police and filed a report,  You may have been discouraged by the lack of ...

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1
JUN
0

Computers and Internet, cybersecurity, education, Identity Theft, law and policy, Security

The FBI Releases the IC3 2017 Internet Crime Report

On May 7, the FBI announced the release of the 2017 edition of the Internet Crime Report, published by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).   This 29 page report outlines what cyber-crimes are most popular and most profitable for the perpetrators.  Don’t miss the extensive list of cyber-crimes and definitions in Appendix A.  Seriously, I found them kind of interesting.  Anyway, these crimes led to $1.42 billion in losses ...

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30
MAY
0

cybersecurity, law and policy, Phishing, social engineering

Progress on Quantum Encryption

You may have heard something about “quantum computing.”  This appears to be where the future of computing is heading, and uses quantum mechanics and something called a “qubit”  instead of the typical ones and zeros of binary computer that we use today.  Quantum computing, when perfected, will provide some truly blistering data rates that could allow AI and machine learning to evolve into truly self-aware computing devices, also know as “the singularity.”  Think Skynet, without all the killing of humans ...

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28
MAY
0

artificial intellegence, cybersecurity

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