Password Management and 2 Factor Authentication

Because post-its on your desk aren’t enough

Passwords vs Passphrase

Go to a website to check it out

• http://rumkin.com/tools/password/passchk.php

More than just entropy• Entropy

– 25-GPU cluster cracks every standard Windows password in <6 hours

• http://arstechnica.com/security/2012/12/25-gpu-cluster-cracks-every-standard-windows-password-in-6-hours/

• Not Entropy (Rainbow Tables)– The multi-platform password cracker Ophcrack is incredibly fast.

How fast? It can crack the password "Fgpyyih804423" in 160 seconds.

– http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2007/09/rainbow-hash-cracking.html

But, you need a separate one for every website so …

• You could try an algorithm– Here is one example:

The first digit is the number of characters on the name of the website.The second digit is “c” is the number in the first step was odd, and “t” if it was even.The third digit is the last letter of the name of the website.The fourth digit is “$” if the letter in the previous step was a vowel, and “%” if it was a consonant.The last three digits are the first three letters of the name of the website.Using the algorithm above, your password on Twitter would be “7cr%twi” and on Facebook it would be “8tk%fac”.

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/develop-an-algorithm-for-your-online-passwords-and-never-forget-one-again/

Sane Answer: Password Managers

• Keepass http://keepass.info/• LastPass https://lastpass.com/

• Either better than letting your browser remember it.– Encrypted– Usable across platforms

When They Fail

• Password Managers are not perfect• Learn to use them• Have a backup plan

2 Factor Authentication

– Two-factor authentication is often confused with other forms of authentication. Two-factor authentication requires the use of two of the three authentication factors. The factors are identified in the standards and regulations for access to U.S. Federal Government systems. These factors are:• Something the user knows (e.g., password, PIN, pattern);• Something the user has (e.g., ATM card, smart card); and• Something the user is (e.g., biometric characteristic, such as

a fingerprint).

Examples

• You use it already– Conference Room

• Online version– Google best example– https://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.

py?hl=en&answer=180744

Why use it

• Gives you better protection against online identity theft.

• It’s easy.• May someday be required.

The Future

• Physical Tokens– How it works– With a simple touch of the gold disc, the YubiKey

sends a One Time Password (OTP) as if it was typed in from a keyboard. The unique passcode is verified by a YubiKey compliant application.

It’s small

Resources

– http://lifehacker.com/184773/geek-to-live--choose-and-remember-great-passwords

– http://lifehacker.com/5505400/how-id-hack-your-weak-passwords

– http://lifehacker.com/5944969/which-password-manager-is-the-most-secure

– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-factor_authentication