Mudderoy
08-30-2012, 09:29 AM
As you guys know I like listening to podcasts. I listen to a Twit Network show called "Security Now with Steve Gibson".
In episode of Security Now - 366 - The Death of "Clever", Steve talks about password security and how the "clever use of numbers to substitute for letters" doesn't work any longer.
This is largely due to much faster computers, graphics cards, and free software that makes it easy for anyone to start cracking passwords 15 million a second! No not cracking them that fast but processing that many passwords looking for the key.
It you are using a password like "monkey" one of the most common passwords, "M0nK3y" IS NOT a valid alternative.
At this point you would be safer selecting a password like "3v42Kv@B13rO" and writing it down on a sticky stuck to your monitor!
Listen to the show yourself and see what you think. :link: (http://twit.tv/show/security-now/366)
Now I don't like the idea of putting all my eggs in one basket, however after listening to Steve for awhile I have started using, at his recommendation, LastPass. Lasspass is a free piece of software that runs on your computer that will generate complex passwords, enter them in for you based on the website you are going to and even help you generate a new password when the old password expires.
You simply load the software on any PC you use and from a browser bar you can access any site who's password you have saved. You don't have to allow Lasspass to generate your password to use it, but from reading above it may not be a bad idea.
Also this allows you to have a different password for each site you visit. Typical thing people do is select one password and use it on all sites, including the bank! :wow:
They do have a version for iPhone and Smartphones, however it isn't free. What I do instead I just open Tapatalk on my phone then enter in the password to the sites I visit. Now I don't browse much from my phone since I am in front of a computer almost 24x7.
In episode of Security Now - 366 - The Death of "Clever", Steve talks about password security and how the "clever use of numbers to substitute for letters" doesn't work any longer.
This is largely due to much faster computers, graphics cards, and free software that makes it easy for anyone to start cracking passwords 15 million a second! No not cracking them that fast but processing that many passwords looking for the key.
It you are using a password like "monkey" one of the most common passwords, "M0nK3y" IS NOT a valid alternative.
At this point you would be safer selecting a password like "3v42Kv@B13rO" and writing it down on a sticky stuck to your monitor!
Listen to the show yourself and see what you think. :link: (http://twit.tv/show/security-now/366)
Now I don't like the idea of putting all my eggs in one basket, however after listening to Steve for awhile I have started using, at his recommendation, LastPass. Lasspass is a free piece of software that runs on your computer that will generate complex passwords, enter them in for you based on the website you are going to and even help you generate a new password when the old password expires.
You simply load the software on any PC you use and from a browser bar you can access any site who's password you have saved. You don't have to allow Lasspass to generate your password to use it, but from reading above it may not be a bad idea.
Also this allows you to have a different password for each site you visit. Typical thing people do is select one password and use it on all sites, including the bank! :wow:
They do have a version for iPhone and Smartphones, however it isn't free. What I do instead I just open Tapatalk on my phone then enter in the password to the sites I visit. Now I don't browse much from my phone since I am in front of a computer almost 24x7.