| Maintaining a secure computer is a good
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| | use a method known as "brute force". That
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| defense against becoming a victim of
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| | means the attacker is taking every
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| Identity Theft. Use a secure password. By
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| | possible combination of numbers and
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| secure, I mean a password that is not
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| | letters and special characters and
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| easily guessable, such as a word you may
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| | creating a hash to try and match the hash
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| find in the dictionary. These types of
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| | stored by the computer.
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| passwords can be found by someone using
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| | To prevent yourself from being subjected
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| what is known as a "dictionary attack"
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| | to a "brute force" attack, you can set up
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| This type of attack involves using the
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| | a security policy that will disable the
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| words that are found in the dictionary
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| | account after a certain number of
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| and comparing those to a hash that has
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| | unsuccessful attempts.
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| been generated by the Operating System.
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| | To further prevent yourself from being
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| If the attack matches the hashes, then
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| | compromised since there are programs that
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| the password has been compromised. Don't
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| | can download the hashes stored in your
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| use birthdays or Social Security Numbers
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| | computer, you may want to set some kind
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| as well. It has been recommended that
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| | of time limit for your passwords. A good
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| your password be at least 8 characters
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| | example would be that the password would
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| long, including small and capital
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| | have to be changed every 90 days, and the
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| letters, numbers, and special characters.
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| | same password can't be used within a 180
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| A password like "alphabet" can easily be
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| | period. This will help ensure that if
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| compromised. If you were to change it up
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| | someone did get the hash of your
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| a little by making every other letter a
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| | password, that by the time it is
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| capital, "AlPhAbEt", this will improve
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| | compromised, it would be an obsolete
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| the security. You can then take it a step
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| | password.
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| further and replace the "E" with the
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| | Try to check your logs to see if there
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| number "3", so then your password looks
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| | have been any attempts on the password.
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| like "AlPhAb3t". Then take the "l" and
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| | This will certainly let you know if
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| change it to the number "1" or even the
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| | someone is looking at your computer in
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| "!". So now the password looks like
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| | order to compromise the data that is
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| "A!PhAb3t". It will take a super computer
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| | stored on it.
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| an extremely long time to break this
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| | By maintaining a secure password, you are
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| password.
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| | ensuring that your private information
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| At this point the attacker would have to
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| | will remain private.
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