Stored passwords on stolen laptop

[[email protected]]

We recently had a notebook stolen. How many domain passwords does a XP pro
client store. How secure are those passwords? I would be hard pressed to
remember how domain users have used that notebook. Do I need to have
everybody reset their passwords?

Thanks,
Zed

[Dusko Savatovic]

Yes! Those passwords are compromised.
Inform or initiate password change for everyone. Immediately.

Dusko Savatovic


> wrote in message ...
> We recently had a notebook stolen. How many domain passwords does a XP pro
> client store. How secure are those passwords? I would be hard pressed to
> remember how domain users have used that notebook. Do I need to have
> everybody reset their passwords?
>
> Thanks,
> Zed

[Bruce Chambers]

wrote:
> We recently had a notebook stolen. How many domain passwords does a XP pro
> client store.


By default, WinXP will store a maximum of 10 sets of cached domain
credentials. This number, however, can be raised to the absolute
maximum of 50 by means of a simple registry edit.



> How secure are those passwords?


The passwords are not at all secure, as you've lost physical control of
the computer. It takes only a few seconds and Google to find many
password-cracking utilities on the Internet.

.. I would be hard pressed to
> remember how domain users have used that notebook. Do I need to have
> everybody reset their passwords?
>


That would certainly be best, if you want to be reasonably confident of
maintaining your domain's security. If you use a standard password for
the local Administrator account on each machine, don't forget to change
that, as well. Also, if you follow the common practice of renaming that
built-in local Administrator account, you should probably come up with a
new name.






--

Bruce Chambers

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[[email protected]]

Yes its extremely easy to crack any passwords even those with both numbers
and letters in a matter of minutes literally, the programs that do this are
also free downloads so anyone can get thier hands on them, I would
immediately have them changed and sorry about the loss.

" wrote:

> We recently had a notebook stolen. How many domain passwords does a XP pro
> client store. How secure are those passwords? I would be hard pressed to
> remember how domain users have used that notebook. Do I need to have
> everybody reset their passwords?
>
> Thanks,
> Zed
>