Monday, May 23, 2011

what is password?

Passwords are one of the oldest forms of authentication mechanism being used on systems accross the world. Password prompts, where one is asked to enter the correct username-password pair, are what prevent infiltration and ensure privacy. Every computer criminal aspires to be able to go past the password prompt and gain illegal access to sensitive data for malicious purposes. Even the data on Windows systems is protected through the password protection mechanism.

      As soon as one boots a Windows system, one is greeted by a welcome password prompt, which on most systems can, unfortunately, be bypassed simply by clicking on the Cancel button. Even after the Windows session has begun, it is possible for a user to enforce password protection on specific files, folders or drives. In other words, passwords have also become on e of the most commonly used authentication mechanisms on systems worldwide. It would be safe to say that passwords are the most important security mechanisms ever deployed.
   
     Unfortunately, most people continue to treat passwords as a set of random and useless characters. It is also becoming increasingly easy for computer criminals to break password protection mechanisms using sophisticated tools and algorithms. Moreover, the most common passwords continue to remain a blank or same as the username. Once an attacker finds out the victim's password there are endless number of malicious activities that can be carried out. Hence, it has become very important for Windows users to take basic precautions to improve the overall security of the system .In this section we discuss some of the most common tips and tricks related to passwords and authentication that every Windows user must know.

Warning: It is always a good idea to back up all system files involved to avoid any accidental damage.












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