Step 2: How to crack a laptop

Figure 1: Proactive System Password Recovery

Crack passwords
If you've done the right thing and require Windows logins combined with Windows-enforced strong passwords, you're probably wondering how else someone could possibly get in. Well, never fear, it can be done. It is simple password cracking, and you don't even have to buy a commercial tool to do it. There's a relatively new tool I've been using called Ophcrack that uses rainbow tables for really fast Windows password cracking. Ophcrack has a bootable "Live CD" version that you can use without having any other access to the Windows system. So, think about this: The bad guy finds/steals your system, boots it up using a tool such as Ophcrack and -- viola! -- in just a few minutes, he's got one or more Windows account passwords. It's all over after that. Try running the Ophcrack Live CD yourself and see what you can find.

Figure 2 shows the Windows version of Ophcrack - the Linux version on the Live CD is essentially the same.

Figure 2: Windows version of Ophcrack

Laptop Hacking

 Home: Introduction
 Step 1: How it can happen
 Step 2: How to crack a laptop
 Step 3: How to secure a laptop
 Step 4: Laptop security summation

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kevin Beaver, CISSP, is an independent information security consultant, author and speaker with Atlanta-based Principle Logic LLC. He has more than 18 years of experience in IT and specializes in performing information security assessments. Beaver has written five books including Hacking For Dummies (Wiley), Hacking Wireless Networks For Dummies, (Wiley) and The Practical Guide to HIPAA Privacy and Security Compliance (Auerbach). He can be reached at kbeaver@principlelogic.com. Copyright 2006 TechTarget

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