RE: Password Cracking

[Jonathan Loh <kj6loh () yahoo com>]

Actually, it's not that hard.  
One of my fellow sysadmins uses the following:  Take any word could be from the
dictionary or not.  Use 0's, 1's, 5's and so on for letter substitutions.  Then
take the first couple letters, however many you want, of the server in question
prepend them, append the last characters of the server.  Lastly enter a
sequence number.  If this is the first server with that exact pw then 1, next
one 2, etc...
IE  my last name is loh
the server in question is fahrfegnugen.

So the resultant pw would be fa10h3n1

One that I use is I use a favorite line from a play or book (or whatever). 
Take the first letters from each word.  Use numeric substitutions, and there!

"Let me see the child, and die" from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

The resultant pw would be 1m5tcad.

Of course are these my passwords?  No.
But is he lying?  Maybe?
--- Andrew Shore <andrew.shore () holistecs com> wrote:

> I think one issue that is being over looked here is the networks weakest
> point, the users.
>
> I have worked for many large (in terms of user base) companies and the
> biggest problem is to first explain how to create a complex password and the
> second is to get them to remember it.
>
> When ever I have tried to get strong passwords into an organisation the first
> problem is the huge increase in users calling the helpdesk because they've
> forgotten the password, with all the identification issues that generates.
> Then there is the scrap of paper under the keyboard because the new passwords
> are "too hard"
>
> If you work in a very secure environment you have to use some form of strong
> authentication, probably a two factor solution, but this can not be rolled
> out for the masses (cost!)
>
> So a line has to be drawn. I don't have the answer but I know from bitter
> experience the costs of tying down general user passwords too far.
>
> Just my 2 cents
>
> Andy 
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Über GuidoZ [mailto:uberguidoz () gmail com] 
> Sent: 11 September 2004 19:30
> To: Teo Gomez
> Cc: Andrew Shore; Simon Zuckerbraun; security-basics () securityfocus com
> Subject: Re: Password Cracking
>
> While it's true that "October10,1977" is a strong password by most
> rules, I'd beg to differ that it is a good password. Due to the ease
> of social engineering, it may not be. I, for one, will test common
> dates (birthdays, anniversaries, etc) in all forms first, when looking
> for a password. (All forms means backwards, forwards, short hand, long
> hand, etc). Most people use these as passwords since they are easy to
> remember. The next step when using "trial-and-error" method is names
> of those close to them (family, loved ones, pets, etc). You may be
> surprised how easy it is simply guess a password when you try.
>
> If you would like to use something easy to remember, try at least
> swapping something around, but not in a usual way. Like make it
> "Rctobeo" (swapped the O and R) or "7197" (instead of 1977)...
> something to that effect. I usually don't try those types of swaps
> until I use a brute force method. On a side note, while it's better
> then nothing, and adding a "1" to a name isn't a way to secure it
> either. =P I will try that 3rd.
>
>
> On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 14:23:17 -0400, Teo Gomez <tgomez () ubiquitelpcs com>
> wrote:
> > Even enforcing complex passwords does not guarantee that passwords be
> > 'strong.'  For example, October20,1977 is my birthday, and is a strong
> > password.  Try and get users to use pass phrases instead of passwords.
> > For example, My cat's hair is blue, is a complex pass phrase.
> >
> > Teo
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Andrew Shore [mailto:andrew.shore () holistecs com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 4:37 AM
> > To: Simon Zuckerbraun; security-basics () securityfocus com
> > Subject: RE: Password Cracking
> >
> > Depending up on the servers strong passwords can be enforced.
> >
> > NT4 SP4 and Win2k AD support this as do most Linux distributions.
> >
> > That way you don't need to check the passwords.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Simon Zuckerbraun [mailto:szucker () sst-pr-1 com]
> > Sent: 05 September 2004 04:05
> > To: security-basics () securityfocus com
> > Subject: RE: Password Cracking
> >
> > If I understand correctly, LC is capable of doing what you're asking.
> >
> > Simon
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Eoin Fleming [mailto:rtfm () o2 ie]
> > Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 4:44 PM
> > To: security-basics () securityfocus com
> > Subject: Password Cracking
> >
> > Bit of an unusual one -
> >
> > Lets imagine you are a security administrator at a company - strong
> > passwords are enforced but you suspect that there may be exceptions and
> > you want to raise management awareness of breaches of the password
> > policy BUT you can't run cracking software as then you will know
> > individuals passwords - which you don't want to know as this breaks
> > acountability rather nicely.
> >
> > In short - is there software that can perform the function of LC and
> > John without giving the admin the password but rather rate the password
> > against against a set criteria?
>
>
>
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interaction with one of our expert instructors. Gain the in-demand skills of
a certified computer examiner, learn to recover trace data left behind by
fraud, theft, and cybercrime perpetrators. Discover the source of computer
crime and abuse so that it never happens again.

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