Secure Your Network NSA-style
farker haiku writes "The NSA has unclassified a pdf on how to secure your network in sixty minutes. All in all, it's an interesting and informative read if you are in the security biz. The article covers a variety of topics such as Buffer Overflows, Intrusion Detection Systems and using Tripwire ASR to ensure the integrity of your network server."
The LAN Manager hash algorithm splits a password of up to 14 characters into two blocks of 7 characters, the second block null-padded to size. The LM hash values for single- and dual-character second blocks are well known, so an eight- or nine-character password on Windows using the LM hash is effectively a seven-character password.
This assumes you have some systems which can ONLY use the LM hash. Systems with later capabilities can be forced NEVER to use LM hashing by simply using a 15-character password or longer, which won't fit in an LM hash even if it is enabled (which it shouldn't be these days, *unless* you have legacy systems that require it).
Microsoft cheerleader, blue flag waving, you got a problem with that?
Yes it was classified. It was classified with the unclassified classification. It was not declassified.
Revolutions are never about freedom or justice. They're about who's going to be top dog. -- Kilgore Trout