Protect your password from hackers

The password is often the key component keeping a system secure.

Users are often told that you need to follow certain rules when creating their passwords which may include using capital letters, numerical digits and sometimes special characters. Rules normally also set a minimum number of characters, which may be as low as 6 (not recommended), more commonly 8 or sometimes 12 or more. But why are those rules in place and do they really make your password more secure?

In this video I look at different techniques that are used to crack a user’s password. This includes guessing simple passwords, using personal information (spidering), dictionary attacks and brute force attacks. The video explains how your choice of password can help protect against these different types of attacks.

For more details see Password Security page at Penguin Fortress.