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Build Your Own Computer or Buy?
Just look inside a computer case. At first glance, all those wires and components can look terrifyingly complex. And thinking about putting them all together by yourself may seem impossible.
Not to worry! Even though they are the products of...
HPC Systems, Inc. Announces First 8-Way Processor AMD Opteron™ Server
San Jose, CA November 16, 2004 –- HPC Systems, Inc. announces the availability of the A5220HS Server, the industry’s first 8 Processor AMD Opteron™ based Server utilizing HTX-PRO™ technology by Iwill USA Corporation. This technology allows the AMD64...
Importance of Backups
A backup is the term used to describe copying files from your computer's hard drive to another medium such as a tape or compact disk. The resulting backup can then be stored somewhere away from the computer. We should do this periodically in case...
Lost your USB Flash? Don't Panic!
The market for USB flash drives has grown very popular over the past several years. Any computer user can transport files from one computer to another with significant ease, using this lightweight, user-friendly and compact information carrier. For...
What Does your "John Hancock" Look Like?
If you have a website and simply sign your e-mails with just your name, STOP right there! If you're not taking advantage of using a good signature line, you're missing out on promoting your business every time you send mail. So you ask, what...
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Passwords or Pass Phrase? Protecting your Intellectual Property
Passwords or Pass Phrase? Protecting your Intellectual Property
Much has been said on the theory of password protection for files, computer login, and other network access. In the past we used a combination of letters, special characters, and other techniques to try and prevent unwanted or unauthorized access to our computers, resources, and networks. A new theory on passwords is emerging that may help us remember our access codes, be more secure, and generally keep hackers and thieves out of our networks.
A password is a combination of words, letters, and special characters that only the user knows, allowing access to a computer or other information resources. As humans we have a large number of codes and numbers we need to remember every day – such as the key lock on our apartment entries, national identification numbers, automobile license or tag numbers, telephone numbers – it is a large and confusing suite of items we need to memorize.
When selecting a new password or pass code for access to a computer system, most of us understand how difficult it is to remember complex codes, and thus we select something already know n to us, such as names, birthdays, national identifiers, or other known items, and then place a number or character in front of the name or number thinking it is secure. This is easy to understand, as most of us simply do not have an ability to instantly recall large numbers of complex codes.
In a worst case we simply write down the complex code on a piece of paper, and leave it in a desk, our pocketbook, or in many cases taped to the front of our computer monitor.
However, to a hacker this makes access to your network or computer much easier, at they generally only have to learn a couple things about you, and add a few numbers to the front or ending of your personal data – you would be surprised how often this grants access to computers and networks. Ad some good “cracking utilities” to the
hacker’s suite of tools, and you can understand the threat.
PassPhrases are a concept that will help us create more secure, easy to remember safeguards for our computer and network resource protection. A passphrase is a selection of words and/or numbers that are 15 characters or more in length, and are easy for us to remember. A couple examples of a good pass phrases are:
•igotodalaieejdaily
•shehasbeautifulhair
•surfinginhawaiiisgreat
According to Mark Minasi, a noted security consultant, a 15 character pass phrase will require a cracking program the following number of computations to try and break a 15 character pass phrase:
•15 lowercase letters = 1,677,259,342,285,725,925,376 possibilities
•Try a million a second, it’ll take 531,855 centuries/years to break the code
As you can see, this is a pretty good level of security for your resource.
Another concern with passwords is if you forget or lose the password, and are using a utility like Microsoft’s Encrypting File System (EFS), you run the risk of losing all access to your important files if you require a hardware reset of your password. All EFS encrypted files are linked to your login profile, meaning if you encrypt a directory or file with EFS, and you do a hardware reset on your computer, those files and directories are lost FOREVER.
For Microsoft Windows users you can now also use spaces within your pass phrase, however we would not recommend embedding spaces in your pass phrase, as that actually does allow a cracker better access to getting your code – it may help them crack it in 100,000 years rather than 250,000!
About the Author
(About the Author – John Savageau is a managing director at CRG-West, responsible for managing operations and architecture for several of the largest telecommunications interconnect facilities in the US, including One Wilshire in Los Angeles savageau@pacific-tier.com/www.pacific-tier.com)
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