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The UNC researchers’ password cracking system ran for several months and eventually cracked about 60% of the passwords. Rather than guessing every possible password in alphabetical order, cracking tools use sophisticated approaches to guess the highest probability passwords first, then hash each guess and check to see whether it matches one of the hashed passwords. They take that file to another computer and make as many guesses as they can. Attackers first gain access to a system and steal the hashed password file. #Dataviz passwords plus review Offline#Offline attackers are not limited to a small number of guesses before being locked out. #Dataviz passwords plus review crack#The UNC researchers used password cracking tools to attempt to crack as many hashed passwords as they could in an “offline” attack. If it matches the hashed password that was previously stored for the user, then the user is able to log in. When a user types in a password, the system runs it through the same mathematical function to produce a hashed version of the password they just typed. The passwords themselves were scrambled using a mathematical function called a “hash.” In most password systems, passwords are stored in hashed form to protect them against attackers. For each account, the researchers were given a sequence of 4 to 15 of the user’s previous passwords – their total data set contained 51,141 passwords. Users were required to change the password for these accounts every 3 months. ![]() The UNC researchers obtained the passwords to over 10,000 defunct accounts belonging to former university students, faculty, and staff. In The Security of Modern Password Expiration: An Algorithmic Framework and Empirical Analysis, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill present the results of a 2009-2010 study of password histories from defunct accounts at their university. What actually happens when users are required to change their passwords? Let’s take a look at two excellent peer-reviewed papers that address this issue. While some experts began questioning this practice at least a decade ago, it was only in the past few years that published research provided evidence that this practice may be less beneficial than previously thought, and sometimes even counterproductive. Mandated password changes are a long-standing security practice designed to periodically lock out unauthorized users who have learned users’ passwords. (And even if a password has been compromised, changing the password may be ineffective, especially if other steps aren’t taken to correct security problems.) Unless there is reason to believe a password has been compromised or shared, requiring regular password changes may actually do more harm than good in some cases. I go on to explain that there is a lot of evidence to suggest that users who are required to change their passwords frequently select weaker passwords to begin with, and then change them in predictable ways that attackers can guess easily. But my favorite question about passwords is: “How often should people change their passwords?” My answer usually surprises the audience: “Not as often as you might think.” Often, they tell me their passwords (please, don’t!) and ask me how strong they are. People complain about having so many passwords to remember and having to change them all so frequently. When people hear that I conduct research on making passwords more usable and secure, everyone has a story to tell and questions to ask. It explores some age-old security advice that research suggests may not be providing as much protection as people previously thought. This blog post provides a case study of why keeping up with security advice is important. What was reasonable in 2006 may not be reasonable in 2016. The FTC has also advised companies to keep abreast of security research and advice affecting their sector, as that advice may change. The FTC’s longstanding advice to companies has been to conduct risk assessments, taking into account factors such as the sensitivity of information they collect and the availability of low-cost measures to mitigate risks. About the FTC Show/hide About the FTC menu itemsĭata security is a process that evolves over time as new threats emerge and new countermeasures are developed.News and Events Show/hide News and Events menu items.Advice and Guidance Show/hide Advice and Guidance menu items.Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents.Enforcement Show/hide Enforcement menu items. ![]()
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