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Weak passwords compromise security, expert notes :: |
Posted by Steven Gaskill
Computer users' insistence on using common passwords shows the need for more IT security, an expert has claimed.
Recent research published by data security firm Imperva found that almost half of passwords are names, slang or easy to hack words, which can be broken by the 'brute force' applications used by cybercriminals.
Imperva chief technology officer Amichai Shulman claimed that automated cyber attacks can break a weak password in one second, allowing 1,000 accounts to be hacked within 17 minutes.
Commenting on the findings, Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for security software provider Sophos, said: "Hackers know the most common passwords used by the public and so can automatically bombard an online account with hundreds, if not thousands, of predictable choices to see if any of them work."
He also explained that some cybercriminals run applications which try every word in the dictionary in an attempt to identify a user's password.
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| 22/01/2010 |
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