01/07/10
Microsoft, security firms warn PC users to protect their passwords online
A recent article from TechTarget revealed that Microsoft and several security firms are warning users about protecting their account credentials from hackers during the holiday shopping season in the wake of an increasing number of people shopping for gifts online. While there are ways of protecting PCs against malware, spyware and hackers this is only one step to providing protection while shopping online. Microsoft is warning that technologies alone can only go so far at protecting account access from password cracker programs. The company analyzed and logged various automated attacks since July and found that people are not making it difficult for the hackers looking to gain access to account information. The statistics showed many people do not take the time or effort to change their default usernames and passwords. Many, according to the article, are still using “admin,” or “administrator” as their username/ Similarly, easy to crack passwords were being used “123456” was common as well as the simple phrase “password.” Default and easy to crack usernames and passwords combined with automated account credential tools make the process all too easy, Microsoft told TechTarget. One attacker tried more than 400,000 username and password combinations, according to a blog entry on password protection by Microsoft. The researchers suggest having long, non dictionary-based passwords that include upper and lower case letters combined with numbers. But, they warn, that may not be enough. “You should take good care of what username and password you're choosing,” the researchers wrote. “Having a super strong password is not enough. From time to time, you need to change it, especially when you feel that your account has been compromised.”
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