- Passive Detection A method of identifying security threats and vulnerabilities by monitoring the system for suspicious activity without actively interacting with it or altering its data. It is used to detect potential attacks and prevent them from causing damage. Examples include intrusion detection systems and network security monitoring.
- Passive Response A method of dealing with potential threats by logging them and possibly issuing alerts but not taking direct action to interrupt or mitigate the threat. These responses are often employed when the cost or potential disruption of active response exceeds the perceived risk of the threat. The goal is to gather information about the threat for later analysis and possible action.
- Pass-the-hash A type of exploit where an attacker uses a hashed form of a user's password instead of the actual password to authenticate against a network service. This kind of attack bypasses the need to decrypt or crack the password and takes advantage of the fact that many systems authenticate users by comparing the hash of the provided password with the stored hash.
- Password A password is a sequence of characters used as a security credential to authenticate users and protect access to computer systems and online accounts. Good password practices include using length and complexity to resist password-cracking attempts. Examples provided should reflect strong passwords rather than weak, commonly used ones.
- Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) is an authentication protocol that sends usernames and passwords as plaintext and is therefore considered insecure by modern standards. PAP is susceptible to eavesdropping and interception, as the credentials are not encrypted. It's typically used in legacy or less secure environments where more secure authentication methods are not feasible.
- Password complexity The level of difficulty in guessing or cracking a password based on its length, character types, and other factors. Used in password policies to increase security. Examples -requiring a minimum length of 8 characters, using a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters, and enforcing regular password changes.
- Password cracking The process of attempting to guess or decrypt a password that has been stored or transmitted, often by trying a series of possible passwords until the correct one is found. Various methods are used, including brute force attacks (trying all possible combinations), dictionary attacks (using common words or phrases), and rainbow table attacks (precomputed tables for reversing hash functions).
- Password guessing The method where an unauthorized entity tries to gain access to a system by guessing the password. This is usually done through brute force methods (trying all possible combinations) or, more commonly, by using lists of commonly used passwords. Password guessing can be mitigated by enforcing complexity requirements and limiting the number of failed attempts.
- Password history A security feature that remembers a certain number of a user's previous passwords to prevent them from reusing them. This can deter unauthorized access because it forces users to come up with new passwords regularly, making it more difficult for potential intruders to guess them.
- Password management The process of handling the creation, storage, and usage of passwords in a secure manner. This may involve the use of password management software to generate, store, and automatically fill in complex passwords. The goal is to create strong passwords and maintain good security practices without creating a cumbersome user experience.
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