Elcomsoft turns your PC into a password cracker

I saw this and just had to post it...


"You know all that talk about GPUs being the new CPUs? Well it's not just a lot of hot, ventilated air. Thanks in large part to the launch of development kits like nVidia's CUDA, Russian outfit Elcomsoft has just filed for a US patent which leverages GPUs to crack passwords. Their approach harnesses the massively parallel processing capabilities of modern graphics cards to make minced-meat of corporate-strength password protection. An NTLM-hashed Microsoft Vista password, for example, can now be cracked in 3 to 5 days (instead of two months) using a simple, off-the-shelf, $150 graphics card -- less complicated passwords can take just minutes. Dial the GPU up to an $800 GeForce 8800 Ultra and Elcomsoft's approach will crack passwords at a rate some 25 times faster than existing CPU-only approaches. Yippee?"
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/24/elcomsoft-turns-your-pc-into-a-password-cracking-supercomputer/

Wholly cow. I really hope that the Government does not grant their patent. So much for those strong passwords...What's the point??!!??

10 Ways to Work More Securely

I was surfing last night and found this Microsoft article about Security in the work place. It is very simple and easy to do. He is the Top 10 List –
Best way to protect company data.
I feel like Letterman…

Number 10: Use the Junk E-mail Filter in Outlook 2003
Number 9: Encrypt e-mail messages when appropriate.
Number 8: Don't open questionable e-mails.
Number 7: Encrypt files containing confidential or business critical files.
Number 6: Use password protection on your screensaver.
Number 5: Lock your computer when you leave your desk. It is really easy (Windows+L)
Number 4: Use network file shares instead of local file shares.
Number 3: Don't enable the Save Password Option.
Number 2: Use strong passwords.

And the last and most Novel idea
Number 1: Work with your IT department.

But, it seems like people either don’t want to take the time or simply don’t care. Being a System Administrator, it is really hard to protect company assets without the assistance of the user population. (Without becoming an IT Nazi – and nobody wants that!!!)
http://www.microsoft.com/AtWork/getstarted/worksecure.mspx

New Poll Released!

It is time for you to vote on "What do you use for gaming?" Are you a PC or Console Gamer? Perhaps you do both.. Here is your time to tell the rest of the world.