Password hacking remains with us, eh???

catch22

We've all known for many years about protecting or improving our passwords. The blinding speed of processors and quality of technology that is of great benefit to us, also benefits the HACKERS. The included link below arrived at my email box via a set Google Alert word and I'm passing this along.
The short video in the link may not be new information to you; but is a reminder for all of us. The RED FLAGS are in the written article.

Today's password hacking methods.

Regards,
Catch

Observant1

A password manager program makes managing multiple, complex passwords much easier.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) usage will increase security.
If MFA is available, I would recommend using it for financial accounts.
Do not access personal financial information via public Wi-Fi networks if you are not using a VPN.

Edit: Read article referenced above which led to the discovery of this good cybersecurity primer.
Secrets from People Who Never Get Hacked

catch22

@Observant1
Absolutely. Use MFA and VPN. I do turn off VPN at times when online wi-fi/secure at home, as some sites are not happy with VPN and will prevent access.

hank

“A password manager program makes managing multiple, complex passwords much easier.”

Good advice. But as someone who cut his computing teeth on a Vic-20 in the early 80s, my gut reaction is “Damn. How’d we get to this point?”

What’s next? A manager to manage our password managers?

If traveling I go to cellular. Safer than hotel wifi. Try to keep even that to minimum. I haven’t graduated to a PW manager yet. But mine are quite complex & usually 15-20 characters. For anything important, 2 factor authentication (typically a code delivered to my secure cellphone) is employed.

@Catch22 - great thread.

Crash

when a website forces me to create a password longer or more complex than my usual, i get mad at it, then create a truly obscene pw. i suppose that works, though not intended.

Old_Joe

I've mentioned this from time to time over the years: for us older folks who grew up with telephone numbers that had an alpha prefix (for example, ENterprise 6-1234) you probably remember some of those with no difficulty. Leave out the "space", and it becomes ENterprise6-1234. Very easy to remember, sufficiently long to meet specs, capital and lower case letters, a "symbol" (the dash) and five numbers.

Works great for me.

carew388

+1 I remember exchanges like PRospect , MOhawk. Of course, I remember rotary-dial phones, party lines and busy signals, but that's better left for another day !

Old_Joe

Well, there you go! Those old phone numbers are a snap to remember, and make great passwords.

catch22

@Crash

i get mad at it, then create a truly obscene pw. i suppose that works, though not intended.

Web sites are placing a rules sign of: "No shirt, no shoes, No service ! They're not trying to make you angry, they're not your enemy.
But, they are forcing you/we to use an "electronic condom" of their choosing to enter their door, for your protection and their community at large.
'Course the option of choosing not to enter the door remains with the customer, eh?
You do not want to have the painful experience of an account hack or identity theft; that you are able to help prevent.

hank

Crash said:

”when a website forces me to create a password longer or more complex than my usual, i get mad at it, then create a truly obscene pw. i suppose that works, though not intended.”

If you are the only one who knows the password, I seriously question whether it would be considered “obscene.” Pretty sure no human on the other end knows what it is. And the computer only sees it as bits and bites bytes. I guess it goes back to that tree in the forest that falls when no one’s listening. Was there any sound?

As others have noted, you can do a lot stringing a phrase together using the first letter of each word, tossing in some special characters here and there. I like to use characters & situations in films - but any topic works.

EXAMPLE: inS’sR&JMD@THOTWIJ’sC (21 letters and special characters)

Translated: “In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Mercutio dies at the hand of Tybalt who is Juliet’s cousin.”

Derf

"electronic condom" WOW !!!!
Derf

Old_Joe

Yes, that's just shocking!!

hank

@Derf, Not all sites have this. Best to check first. But I did one time come across a setting at Fido where you could switch the EC (elfctronic condom) “ON” or “OFF” depending on whether or not you intended to use an obscene password.

Crash

...my usual is obscene. sometimes the website will insist on a capital letter. ok, i will do that. anything more complex than my usual set of letters and required numbers prompts a password which was the very same response i once heard and remembered, from a nurse, working years ago in the same doctor's office with me, after one of the docs asked her if she were pregnant. funny, how connections get made and stick with you. i laughed so hard, that day. it was 1989.