Password cracking is the process of recovering passwords that are stored on a computer. This is typically done to regain a password that one has lost, to gain access to a system that one is not authorized to use or even as a preventative measure to ensure that a system is secure and not able to be hacked. People who crack passwords are known as computer hackers or crackers. Hackers can be driven
. by a multitude of things, such as personal gain and profit, protest or simply because because they want a challenge.Cracking computer passwords is much easier than most think, and can be done in a variety of ways. Most people do not encrypt their passwords. One of the simplest and most basic ways to crack a password is to simply use trial and error to guess the password. Most people choose a password that is easy for them to remember, and often times even store it somewhere in their computer in case they forget it. It is also possible to click the 'forgot password' button when it says to enter password, and then reset the password. However, this method usually requires some sort of system access. It is also possible to use a key logger to gain information and all passwords to websites that the user visits. It is also possible to use password cracking software. The most popular program and probably the easiest is Ophcrack ISO. It can be used for Windows, OS X (MAC), and Linux (not as popular) operating systems. Cain and Abel, Hydra, and ElcomSoft are also very popular cracking programs. To prevent passwords from being hacked it is best to use effective passwords that are hard to guess and use a mixture of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols. For more details on password cracking, visit: http://www.joetech.com/2009/01/29/how-to-crack-the-account-password-on-any-operating-system/. More reference links: http://www.joetech.com/2009/01/29/how-to-crack-the-account-password-on-any-operating-system/. http://www.reference.com/browse/password+cracking
