So, you thought having a password on your computer while you login and you are safe, at least with all the mis-uses, well my friend, we need to tell you that you are highly mistaken.
If someone wishes to gain access to your laptop or a computer, a simple login password will not stop them. Most computer users do not realize how easy it is to access the login password for a computer, and end up leaving your personal data vulnerable to hacker, or even a tech savvy guy.
Have we made you curious? Sure we have! so here is how easy it can be to crack a computer’s password
Let’s Start with Windows
Windows is still the most popular and the most attacked one and guess what, getting Windows password is the easiest!
The program used is called Ophcrack, and it is free. Ophcrack is a free Windows password cracker based on rainbow tables. It is a very efficient implementation of rainbow tables done by the inventors of the method. It comes with a Graphical User Interface.
The time required to solve a password: Generally 10 seconds.
The expertise needed: None.
Linux
Linux, an operating system quickly gaining popularity in mainstream, but not so common you’re likely to come across it. Though Mac and Linux are both based on Unix, it is easier to change the password in Linux than it is OS X.
To change the password on a Linux turn ON the computer and press the ESC key when GRUB appears. Scroll down and highlight ‘Recovery Mode‘ and press the ‘B’ key; this will put you into the ‘Single User Mode‘.
You’re now at the prompt, and logged in as ‘root‘ by default. Type ‘passwd‘ and then choose a new password. This will change the root password to whatever you enter. If you’re interested in only gaining access to a single account on the system, however, then type ‘passwd username‘ replacing ‘username‘ with the login name for the account you would like to alter the password for.
Mac OS X
The Second most popular OS after Windows, The easiest method would be to use Ophcrack on this, as well, as it works on Mac and Linux in addition to Windows. However, there are other methods that can be used, as demonstrated below.
If the Mac runs OS X 10.4, then you only need the installation CD. Insert it into the computer, reboot. When it starts up, select UTILITIES > RESET PASSWORD. Choose a new password and then use that to log in.
If the Mac runs OS X 10.5, restart the computer and press COMMAND + S. When at the prompt, type:
fsck -fy
mount -uw /
launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.DirectoryServices.plist
dscl . -passwd /Users/UserName newpassword
That’s it. Now that the password is reset, you can login.
DONE!
Conclusion:
There you have it that is how simple it is for someone to hack your password. It requires no technical skills, no tedious tasks, only simple words or programs.
The moral of the story:
- Encrypt your data to keep it safe.
- Don’t use only a password, but actually encryption, such as Blowfish or AES-128.
- There are a number of programs that can do this TrueCrypt for Windows, or the native encryption found on Ubuntu, creating a disk image in Mac, etc.
- Stay Safe
[notification type=”alert”] This article is just to demonstrate how easy it can be to crack password for your computers, please do not mis-use the techniques, they are for educational purposes only. [/notification]
The DNetWorks Team