Comments on: Internet Security: How Criminals Hack Other Peoples Computers http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/internet-security-how-criminals-hack-other-peoples-computers/ Cool Websites, Software and Internet Tips Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:26:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: john http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/internet-security-how-criminals-hack-other-peoples-computers/#comment-416845 john Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:59:51 +0000 http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=22183#comment-416845 i need the password of the person i use his id i need the password of the person i use his id

]]> By: Steven http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/internet-security-how-criminals-hack-other-peoples-computers/#comment-398846 Steven Sat, 15 Aug 2009 01:00:05 +0000 http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=22183#comment-398846 Yeah I guess, but if it were the 457th tried it wouldn't be a matter of minutes.. would be a matter of milliseconds.. if that.. Yeah I guess, but if it were the 457th tried it wouldn’t be a matter of minutes.. would be a matter of milliseconds.. if that..

]]> By: Guy McDowell http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/internet-security-how-criminals-hack-other-peoples-computers/#comment-398651 Guy McDowell Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:38:00 +0000 http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=22183#comment-398651 If you're the kind of person that uses strong passwords on all of your files, inside of your account, I probably wouldn't want to go after your computer. If I did, I would probably use one of the application-specific password crackers that are out there, like the one for Excel files. Again, I'm not going to mention the name of that tool, for the sake of ethics. Now part of the problem with your math is the assumption that your password would be the last combination that would be tried. What if it were the 457th word tried? That would be a matter of minutes. The point is, that, all security is just acceptable security. Nothing is 100% secure, if someone wants it bad enough. If you’re the kind of person that uses strong passwords on all of your files, inside of your account, I probably wouldn’t want to go after your computer. If I did, I would probably use one of the application-specific password crackers that are out there, like the one for Excel files.

Again, I’m not going to mention the name of that tool, for the sake of ethics.

Now part of the problem with your math is the assumption that your password would be the last combination that would be tried. What if it were the 457th word tried? That would be a matter of minutes.

The point is, that, all security is just acceptable security. Nothing is 100% secure, if someone wants it bad enough.

]]> By: Guy McDowell http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/internet-security-how-criminals-hack-other-peoples-computers/#comment-398650 Guy McDowell Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:32:08 +0000 http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=22183#comment-398650 The Windows generated password-reset disk isn't the one I'm talking about. I have one that allows me to reset any account password on most versions of Windows. I won't mention the name of it here, for the sake of plausible deniability. The Windows generated password-reset disk isn’t the one I’m talking about. I have one that allows me to reset any account password on most versions of Windows. I won’t mention the name of it here, for the sake of plausible deniability.

]]> By: Steven http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/internet-security-how-criminals-hack-other-peoples-computers/#comment-398617 Steven Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:58:31 +0000 http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=22183#comment-398617 "Any sort of password cracker using a rainbow table or dictionary attack will get through those in a matter of seconds to minutes." Not really, a dictionary attack is as it says, a huge list of words. I don't know about most people but not one of the passwords I've ever used, I am using or ever will use will be just 1 single word. Any password I use is a series of numbers/letters and if possible symbols and upper case/lower case. Rainbow tables take up huge amounts of memory and even running a program which entered every possible combination of for a password of 1-10 characters being numbers/letters lowercase/letters uppercase/symbols/ would take ages (73742412689492826049 possible combinations, at 10,000,000 combinations per second is still 7374241268950 seconds = 2048400353 hours.. Hows that for a matter of minutes? “Any sort of password cracker using a rainbow table or dictionary attack will get through those in a matter of seconds to minutes.”

Not really, a dictionary attack is as it says, a huge list of words. I don’t know about most people but not one of the passwords I’ve ever used, I am using or ever will use will be just 1 single word. Any password I use is a series of numbers/letters and if possible symbols and upper case/lower case. Rainbow tables take up huge amounts of memory and even running a program which entered every possible combination of for a password of 1-10 characters being numbers/letters lowercase/letters uppercase/symbols/ would take ages (73742412689492826049 possible combinations, at 10,000,000 combinations per second is still 7374241268950 seconds = 2048400353 hours.. Hows that for a matter of minutes?

]]> By: Steven http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/internet-security-how-criminals-hack-other-peoples-computers/#comment-398616 Steven Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:49:19 +0000 http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=22183#comment-398616 "If I got your computer AND found that your Windows XP accounts were password protected, I would simply use a bootable password reset disk to change or remove the passwords. Then I’m in." Actually no, you're not in, a password reset disk will only work on the computer it was created on. Windows won't just accept any old password reset disk.. “If I got your computer AND found that your Windows XP accounts were password protected, I would simply use a bootable password reset disk to change or remove the passwords. Then I’m in.”

Actually no, you’re not in, a password reset disk will only work on the computer it was created on. Windows won’t just accept any old password reset disk..

]]> By: anders http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/internet-security-how-criminals-hack-other-peoples-computers/#comment-397165 anders Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:20:41 +0000 http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=22183#comment-397165 About the password protected grub: What if I go with a LiveCD and change the /boot/grub/menu.lst ?? I think that the most secure is encrypting your disk and that's it :) About the password protected grub:
What if I go with a LiveCD and change the /boot/grub/menu.lst ??
I think that the most secure is encrypting your disk and that’s it :)

]]> By: Mackenzie http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/internet-security-how-criminals-hack-other-peoples-computers/#comment-396872 Mackenzie Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:19:05 +0000 http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=22183#comment-396872 That's why you password-protect GRUB! That’s why you password-protect GRUB!

]]> By: debt reduction http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/internet-security-how-criminals-hack-other-peoples-computers/#comment-396862 debt reduction Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:06:08 +0000 http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=22183#comment-396862 thx for it. i will protect my laptop now thx thx for it. i will protect my laptop now thx

]]> By: Guy McDowell http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/internet-security-how-criminals-hack-other-peoples-computers/#comment-396832 Guy McDowell Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:00:44 +0000 http://www.makeuseof.com/?p=22183#comment-396832 The principles of hacking are the same regardless of the operating system. By simply having Linux or other *nix based OS's, you are already making it difficult for criminal hackers. If I were a hacker and came across your *nix system, my first thought would be, "This person knows their stuff." Then I'd look for another target. The principles of hacking are the same regardless of the operating system. By simply having Linux or other *nix based OS’s, you are already making it difficult for criminal hackers.

If I were a hacker and came across your *nix system, my first thought would be, “This person knows their stuff.” Then I’d look for another target.

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