According to research by Trustwave, asreported in SCMagazineUK, "around 50 percent of US corporate passwords can now be cracked in a matter of minutes" using brute force attack software.Among the points made in the article:
- Some IT administrators incorrectly assume that using various uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and special characters in a password will make it more secure.
- Not changing network device passwords on a regular basis also leaves organizations exposed. To ensure security governance, passwords on networking devices should be changed every time a member of staff with access to the networking devices leaves.
A security analyst said a key to improving security is raising awareness among users of its importance. He also recommended using ID badges that can act as security tokens – though presumably not the same...