[LINK] Why passwords have never been weaker-an d crackers have never been stronger

[Roger Clarke]

Kim Holburn <kim at holburn.net> wrote on Sun, 26 Aug 2012 11:08:46 +1000
>http://arstechnica.com/security/2012/08/passwords-under-assault/
>  Why passwords have never been weaker-and crackers have never been 
>stronger ...

At 12:39 +1000 26/8/12, Robin Whittle wrote:
>The article's first page doesn't state the following (it is on page 2):
>when someone gains root access or similar to a site, they can retrieve a
>file of password hashes ...

Thanks Kim and Robin!  Nice timing for me, as I'm about to run a 
segment of a 3rd-year CS unit on eCommerce security.

I've added it to the reading list, and updated my Passwords paper by 
adding Password Risk No. 12:
http://www.rogerclarke.com/II/Passwords.html#PR


That paper's only had about 1200 real-person hits since I put it up 
13 months ago.  My hit rates have flattened out at 3 mill p.a. 
(that's people plus spiders).  It's not like the olden days of the 
Web 1995-2008, when my hit-counts kept growing.  (But then I've never 
bothered with RSS, blogs, micro-blogs, social networking, approval 
memes or any of the many other ways to pump up visits):

What Everyone Ought to Know About Passwords
http://www.rogerclarke.com/II/Passwords.html


-- 
Roger Clarke                                 http://www.rogerclarke.com/
			            
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
                    Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au                http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law               University of NSW
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University