Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uflorida!gatech!mcnc!decvax!ima!minya!jc
From: jc@minya.UUCP (John Chambers)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: PASSWORD GUESSING
Message-ID: <6@minya.UUCP>
Date: 3 Sep 89 17:10:20 GMT
References: <1919@aucs.UUCP> <737@rwing.UUCP> <1043@accuvax.nwu.edu> <16937@rpp386.Dallas.TX.US>
Organization: home
Lines: 19

In article <16937@rpp386.Dallas.TX.US>, jfh@rpp386.Dallas.TX.US (John F. Haugh II) writes:
> In article <3638@uokmax.UUCP> jeffm@uokmax.UUCP (Jeff Medcalf) writes:
> 
> He said this was the system being used.  Any information regarding
> character set, word selection, etc. increases the ease with which
> a password can be cracked.

For instance, if you know that the system discourages or prevents the
users from using passwords of less than 5 characters, you can use this
to trim away all the short words from the on-line dictionary, greatly
speeding up the cracking job.

(Not that any system we know of would do something so silly. ;-)

-- 
#echo 'Opinions Copyright 1989 by John Chambers; for licensing information contact:'
echo '	John Chambers <{adelie,ima,mit-eddie}!minya!{jc,root}> (617/484-6393)'
echo ''
saying