Category: Password reset

How password security will change in 10 years!

Paul

Passwords are going out the Window!

We’ve seen in the past where people have used such words as ninja, jesus, 12345678, and password!  I’ve talked about Lastpass in the past and I really believe they are the best possible combination of the two. With the recent questions of Password Length and Password Strength, I have come to the conclusion that in the coming years.   People will be doing a 3 factor authentication and having the passwords as a back up.   It really would be nice to have two ways to authenticate and not have to put in a password.

3 factor authentication!

I know your Password! Click image to see!Three factor authentication is a simple concept.   Since we have a password we can simply use two other ways to authenticate for example a cell phone and maybe a Yubi Key.  The password will be the backup for one or the other.  If you lost your phone and still would need to authenticate you password would be one you can use in an emergency. Thus it really becomes a 2 factor authentication but since we could use all three to authenticate it would make it that much harder for a hacker to brute force an attack and get your sensitive data.

2 factor authentication!

Although most people don’t think of this but having a limited number of possible access to the important data can make it just that much harder and maybe get the hacker to go somewhere else.   What about social networks?  Do we really need that for social?  I am thinking maybe and it just depends on how you login in the first place.   I would love most of them to to maybe let me authenticate with Google and come back to them but that leaves a large hole.   It just depends on how valuable your social status is and what the possible outcome of someone getting a hold of that social network.  

Elite passwords!

Some would call it “leet” speak,  and I’ve heard people say this is something we should do in reguards to making a password.   I tell you know, we already have a 2,000 most common passwords and I am betting it has some really good leet passwords already.  So what makes a hacker no try those to hack your account.   I would think these would be tried after the primary just because this would also be the easiest way to gain access to an account.

In Ten years!

I am pretty confident in ten years we will see something like this happen and we will no longer be depending on a system that was developed in the late 1990’s.   We have to be ready for change and keep it.  I just hope it happens sooner rather than later and that most companies should jump aboard and help us get this implemented.   I don’t know how hard this will be but it will be nice to not have to worry about a password anymore with my bank or other financial institution. 

Paul Sylvester

Amazon really is Confusing some times!

Paul

Your Amazon.com password has been changed!

Dear [First] [Last],

This is an important message from Amazon.com

As a precaution, we’ve reset your Amazon.com password because you may have been subject to a "phishing" scam.

Here’s how phishing works:

A scam artist sends an e-mail, which is designed to look like it came from a reputable company such as a bank, financial institution, or retailer like Amazon.com, but is in fact a forgery. These e-mails direct you to a website that looks remarkably similar to the reputable company’s website, where you are asked to provide account information such as your e-mail address and password. Since that web site is actually controlled by the phisher, they get the information you entered.

Go to amazon.com/phish to read more about ways to protect yourself from phishing.

To regain access to your Amazon customer account:

1. Go to Amazon.com and click the "Your Account" link at the top of our website.

2. Click the link that says "Forgot your password?"

3. Follow the instructions to set a new password for your account.

Please choose a new password and do not use the same password you used with us previously.

Thank you for your interest in Amazon.com

Sincerely,

Amazon.com

Please note: this e-mail was sent from an address that cannot accept incoming e-mail. To contact us about an unrelated issue, please visit the Help section of our website.

This Happened a Few Days ago, and I thought I would talk about the security implications of this email. Some users and people are thinking this is fake. Obviously, I was concerned like everyone else so I contacted Amazon to find out about this. I talked on the Phone, and talked to a Representative that didn’t really know why my password was changed. So they told me the she’d give my email address to a specialist and that was it.

Account Alert: Please Read

Greetings from Amazon.com.

Please take the time to read this message – it contains important information about your Amazon.com account.

After careful review of your account, we believe it may have been accessed and used by a third-party to attempt to make purchases without your permission. It seems that someone obtained your personal account and/or financial information elsewhere, and used it on Amazon.com to access your account. Please note that no unauthorized charges were completed as we were able to cancel the order(s).

We have taken immediate steps to secure your account. We’ve assigned a new, temporary password to prevent further access by the unauthorized third-party, and removed any credit cards or other payment methods from your account. Additionally, if any information was added to your account by someone other than you, it has been removed. Your account access has been restored and is available to use at your convenience.

You’ll need to reset your password when you return to our site. Just click “Your Account” at the top of our Home page and select “Forgot your Password?” in the Settings section.” Enter your email address as prompted, and once completed, we’ll send you an e-mail containing a personalized link. Click the link from the e-mail and follow the directions provided. Your new password will be effective immediately. Please note that you will need to re-enter your complete credit or debit card number during the checkout process.

It is important to know that Amazon.com accounts can only be accessed by those who know personal, specific information about you and your account, including your email address and Amazon.com password. As mentioned above, it appears someone obtained this personal account information elsewhere and used it on Amazon.com to access your account.

While it is not clear how this happened in your case, we do know that personal account information is often obtained by scam artists who send unsolicited email to unsuspecting users asking them to "update" their account information. The email usually contains a link to a website that is controlled by the thief asking the user to submit personal information including email address, password, credit card number, and other relevant information. Once the information is obtained, the scam artist can then gain access to numerous online accounts since many internet users frequently use the same user name, email address, password, and financial information at multiple web sites.

Please know that Amazon.com employees will *never* ask for your password, nor will we ever send an email asking you to verify personal information.

Although it appears someone did access your Amazon.com account, they would not have been able to view your full credit card numbers as they are never displayed on our site. However, it is possible your credit card numbers may have been compromised at the time your other personal information was obtained. Therefore, we suggest you carefully review recent credit card statements to check for any unusual activity or unauthorized charges.

In the future, you can protect your Amazon.com password and account by following some of these safety tips:

———————————————————————–

1. Choose a good password: Use at least 8 characters and a combination of letters and numbers. Do not use single dictionary words, your name or other personal info that can be easily obtained, or a password that contains part of your email address.

2. Password protection: Avoid using the same password at multiple sites or for your email account. Do not share your password with others.

3. Account protection: Be cautious of unsolicited emails that appear to come from reputable online shops or services that ask you to submit personal information such as your credit card number, email address, and password. Often these emails will look as though they come from the company you’re familiar with, and the email will ask you to click on a link and "sign in". You should never provide this kind of personal information in an unsolicited email.

I don’t know if this isn’t just an automated message because anyone who know me, knows I do listen to Security Now and other such security podcasts. So I know about phishing attacks and other such ways of how someone can get your password. I’ve recommended Lastpass in the past and still recommend it. I don’t get what happened but it looks like they were concerned with my account and decided it need to be restricted until I changed my password. I even like the fact that Lastpass now uses Yubikey as a second factor of authen
tication, which I am quite glad they have implemented this. Great Going Laspass guys.

Don’t Click Links in Emails!

I’ve talked about in the past but I thought it was something that we should at least remind people. If you get an email with a link to your account and you’re not expecting it then don’t click it. You can click links if your resetting your password but those are expected. I always tell people if your not expecting it, talk to the person who sent it to you because they might have a virus or some link that will compromise your account or get your passwords. Remember, surf safe and think about your security.

Security is #1

Paul Sylvester

How to Gain Access to a Windows User Account

Paul

At some point or another in a PC technicians career, a client is going to forget their Windows password and its up to the computer technician to fix it. Essentially, we have to break into the clients computer for them. This is how we do it.

Note: These steps are designed for advanced computer users, and are not fluffed out explaining how to do simple computer tasks. These steps are also intended for breaking into a computer that you have permission to do so on. It is a offense to break into a computer if you are unauthorized. Besides, karma will get you if you do.. it always does.

How to Gain Access to a Windows User Account using Safe Mode:
The easiest way to gain access to a Windows based machine is to go into Safe mode. To get into Safe mode do the following steps:
While the computer is powering up, before the Windows logo screen, keep pressing F8 and you will be presented with some choices on how you want to boot. Choose Safe Mode.

Goto Start > Run and type: control userpasswords2

This will bring up a User Accounts screen. Select the user account you want access to and press the “Reset Password” button.

Resetting a User Account Password. Click Reset Password

If the above didnt work for you. Try this step again but instead untick “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer” and click Apply.

No Passwords to Logon

The system will then ask you what username you want the system to logon as by default, you can just leave the password blank or put something in if you want.

I found this and thought I’d blog about it. I know people might not want to know how to but it is a very useful tool when you have to reset someones password. Check the full article out at technibble.