Windows 7: Brute Force Attacks: Beyond password basics

So you have a strong password. Is that enough? The psychology of password creation would suggest we are not necessarily safe from Brute Force Attacks.

“Heuristic brute forcing provides hackers with the ability to crack long and complicated passwords using brute force style password cracking, while not wasting eons trying unrealistic passwords”, according to Brandon Smith, writing as James Penguin for 2600.

Many of us know the basics, or what passes for common sense with regard to workstation security. You know…use anti-virus software, and make certain that the definitions file is up to date. Make certain that your OS is equally patched. Don’t download software from questionable sites.

With regard to passwords, it’s simple: don’t use passwords that may be found in a dictionary. For enterprise, and more security conscious web sites implement password policies that mandate the use of numbers, letters and, sometimes, special characters.

Is this enough?