Open access repository

Home Open access repository

In 2014, we launched our open-access repository which offers full text access to conference proceedings from many of our events including the INC and HAISA series. These papers are free to access and distribute (subject to citing the source).

» Openaccess proceedings » Thirteenth International Symposium on Human Aspects of Information Security & Assurance (HAISA 2019)

Thirteenth International Symposium on Human Aspects of Information Security & Assurance (HAISA 2019)

Thirteenth International Symposium on Human Aspects of Information Security & Assurance (HAISA 2019)
Nicosia, Cyprus, July 15-16, 2019
ISBN: 978-0244-19096-5

Title: Analysing the Usage of Character Groups and Keyboard Patterns in Password
Author(s): Joakim Kävrestad, Johan Zaxmy, Marcus Nohlberg
Reference: pp155-165
Keywords: Passwords, password guessing, keyboard patterns, encryption, brute force
Abstract: Even with the advances in different methods for authentication, passwords remain the most common approach for authentication as well as for encryption of user data. Password guessing attacks have grown to be a vital part of computer forensics as well as penetration testing. In this paper, we seek to provide a statistical analysis of password composition by analyzing what character sets that are most commonly used in over 1 billion leaked passwords in over 20 different databases. Further, we use a survey to analyze if users that actively encrypt data differ from the norm. The results of this study suggest that American lowercase letters and numbers are the, by far, most commonly used character sets and that users who actively encrypt data use keyboard patterns and special characters more frequently than the average user.
Download count: 800

How to get this paper:

Download a free PDF copy of this paperBuy this book at Lulu.com

PDF copy of this paper is free to download. You may distribute this copy providing you cite this page as the source.