passwords

Tue
14
Feb
Dennis Faas's picture

Microsoft Security Oversight Leads to Website Hack

Microsoft's online store in India was compromised over the weekend by a group of Chinese hackers calling themselves the "Evil Shadow Team". The hackers were able to extract user IDs and passwords of the site. While many are questioning how the ... hackers were able to breach Microsoft's security system, more troublesome is the realization that the company might not have taken the proper steps to secure the credentials of their customers prior to the attack. Reportedly, Microsoft stored both login IDs and passwords for its users in plain text files, without any encryption system in place to ... (view more)

Tue
20
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

Windows 8 to Revolutionize Password Management

Picking a password that is both memorable and resistant to cracking is a difficult task. It seems easy to forget a random series of letters and numbers, and it's just as easy to guess (or 'crack') memorable passwords, such as your birthplace, your ... dog's name, or your favorite ball club. So it's helpful that Microsoft is expanding password management in Windows 8 by introducing "picture-based account unlocking," which allows PC users to draw circles, lines, and dots in place of text passwords. Drawing Passwords Hard to Guess Microsoft suggests that accessing an account via a ... (view more)

Thu
01
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

UN Server Hacked, Passwords Leaked

More than a thousand usernames and passwords from the United Nations (UN) have been published online by hackers. However, initial indications are the attack may not have uncovered anything particularly important. The information was published on ... Pastebin, a website commonly used by hackers releasing details, but who don't want their own sites to be swamped by high traffic. It was published in the name of 'Team Poison', arguably one of the two biggest hacking groups, alongside the better-known Anonymous. The two groups are believed to have recently formed an alliance to target financial ... (view more)

Tue
28
Jun
Dennis Faas's picture

1.3M Sega User Accounts Compromised in Recent Hack

It's only been a couple of months since Sony suffered one of the most devastating hacker attacks in the history of the video game industry. Experts now believe the company could be in the hole for over a billion dollars thanks to the breach, which ... exposed the personal data of over 100 million PlayStation Network (PSN) customers. Now, another game company has also been hacked, exposing the personal information of about 1.3 million customers. It's a smaller attack, to be sure, but evidence that the gaming industry is in no way prepared for such invasions. Sega Hedgehogged by Hackers Sega, one ... (view more)

Thu
15
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

Millions of Routers Susceptible to Hackers: Report

A security researcher says hackers could take control of millions of routers. Craig Heffner, of security firm Seismic, says half of the models he tested were vulnerable to a recently discovered hack. Routers, which allow an Internet connection to be ... shared among multiple computers, are extremely common -- especially for those of us who use high-speed Internet. Even if you own only one computer and don't share your connection with others in your household or office, chances are you're using a router of some kind. In short, the router acts as a gateway to the Internet and directs traffic back ... (view more)

Fri
22
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

Top 10 Worst Passwords You Should Never Use

According to a recent report, most users still haven't answered the call by security experts to implement more robust passwords. In fact, in a list of the most easy to hack passwords, simply typing '123456' took a truly forgettable top prize. ... Security firm Imperva this week released its list of the passwords most likely to be hacked based on 32 million instances of successful hacking. Imperva named their report "Consumer Password Worst Practices," and some of the entries near the top are truly simple. Worst Password Practices The top three passwords all included the simple streaming of ... (view more)

Tue
06
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Hotmail Leak: Phishers Make off with Thousands of Passwords

Details of a Hotmail security breach emerged early yesterday, and it's suggested that approximately 10,000 accounts could have been compromised. While the exact number of accounts has not yet been confirmed, the breach was likely the result of a ... phishing campaign -- a different kind of hack that uses fake web pages in order to acquire all kinds of sensitive information, from login data and passwords (such as in this case) to credit card and social security numbers. (Source: cnet.com ) "We determined that this was not a breach of internal Microsoft data and initiated our standard process of ... (view more)

Tue
17
Feb
Dennis Faas's picture

MS Offers $250K Bounty for Head of Conficker Worm

A reward of $250,000 has reportedly been offered by Microsoft to find who is behind the Downadup/Conficker virus. Since its inception last October, the Conficker worm has infected millions of computers worldwide. Microsoft is offering a cash reward ... because they view the Conficker as a criminal attack and believe the people responsible for writing it have to be held accountable. As noted by Sophos, Microsoft's reputation is badly shaken whenever a computer virus causes widespread problems for its users, so it's not surprising that they would offer a reward. (Source: sophos.co.uk ) George ... (view more)

Mon
04
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

San Francisco Network Hijacking Case Takes Embarassing New Twist

After making intense efforts to re-secure the city's computer network after a disgruntled employee took control of the system, San Francisco officials have made a big mistake by putting around 150 passwords into the public record. The blunder comes ... as part of an ongoing criminal action against Terry Childs, a system administrator who, apparently infuriated by the work practices of his colleagues, put a series of passwords on the entire system to stop anyone else getting access. He then refused to hand over the details even under threat of imprisonment; after being placed on remand with bail ... (view more)

Thu
23
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

Staying Safe While Shopping Online

Now that the holiday season is rapidly approaching, it's a good time for some quick reminders about safely purchasing items online. Armed with the proper knowledge and a little common sense, purchasing things online can be as safe as going to the ... store and purchasing it in person. It's getting easier to purchase items online from reputable companies. However, there are also several "companies" that want to steal your personal and financial information. Listed below are some suggestions for making your online shopping experience more enjoyable. Contact Information Is the sellers address and ... (view more)

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