Password cracking for fun and profit

Abstract Passwords are the most common form of authentication, and most of us will have to log in to several accounts every day which require passwords. Unfortunately, passwords often do not do a good job of proving who we are, and come with a host of usability problems. Probably the only reason that passwords still exist is that there often isn't a better alternative, so we are likely to be stuck with them for the foreseeable future. Password cracking has been a problem for years, and becomes more problematic as computer become more powerful and attackers get a better idea of the sort of passwords people use. This presentation will look at two free password cracking tools: Hashcat and John the Ripper, and how even a non-expert on a laptop (i.e. me) can use them effectively. An introduction to some of the research surrounding the economics and usability of passwords will also be discussed. Note that the speaker is not an expert in this area, so it will be a fairly informal since I'm sure you're all tired after a long term.