How the Secret Service Cracks Encrypted Evidence

tabdelgawad writes "The Washington Post offers this writeup about how the U.S. Secret Service uses a Distributed Network Attack program to crack encryption on computers and drives seized as evidence. How can brute force still succeed with 256-bit encryption, you ask? Customized password dictionaries from the seized computer's email files and browser cache: People still use non-random passwords."

Comments

Chocolate?

[PxM]

Or maybe they game them movie theater tickets

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Wired article as proof

The fools!

[TiggertheMad]

See, that is why I use the good strong password, 'a@36fh_6^73sdv[:*4hnsSWaB1+h$j,Fennj00&QERvd"(@22 2237hk-i-h-h'. Let's see them figure that one out!

Er, oops.

Re:no shit

[richjoyce]

z*4jhDm28&:1~ IS my dogs name, you insensitive clod!

That is normal

[houghi]

The problem is that I have 5 steel keys for my snailmailbox, for my car and for the office.

However I need to remember several hundred logins and pincodes. Each of them should be unique and difficult for others.
So what do most people do? They either choose something like 5 pincodes and passwords or start writing them down.
Also you should replace all these passwords every so often. I can imagine that there will be people who are able to do this and I also know they are the minority.

Is this a good password?

[WD_40]

I have a 25 character MS Office 2000 CD-Key memorized, would that be considered random enough?

Feel and movement

[LightwaveNet]

Several people I know simply remember the feel and movement their fingers make typing their password (after a few (hundred) times). I do at least.

Easy acronym password: ISRPEY!

[x2A]

Easy password acronym for any slashdotter to remember: In Soviet Russia, Password Enters You!

-2A