Windows 8 Security Break : Logon Passwords Stores in a Plain Text

Windows 8 is the first operating system from Microsoft to support alternative non-biometric authentication mechanisms such as Picture Password and PIN. A vulnerability discovered by a password security vendor - "Passcape" in Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system that it saves a log on password in plain text and allows any user with admin rights to see the password details.

In September, though, some drawbacks of the new authentication method were reported by Passcape Software. The picture password had seemed invulnerable, because whoever tries to guess it must know how and what parts of the image to choose, and in addition, the gesture sequence. However, security experts from Passcape discovered that such a unique password is based on a regular account.

A user should first create a regular password-based account and then optionally switch to the picture password or PIN authentication. Notably, the original plain-text password to the account is still stored in the system encrypted with the AES algorithm, in a Vault storage at:

%SYSTEM_DIR%/config/systemprofile/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Vault/4BF4C442-9B8A-41A0-B380-DD4A704DDB28.

"Briefly, Vault can be described as a protected storage for user's private data. Windows Vault emerged with the release of Windows 7 and could store various network passwords. In Windows 8, Vault has extended its functionality; it has become a more universal storage but at the same time lost its compatibility with the previous versions. Thus, the 'old' Vault implements a custom password protection. While in Windows 8, it seems, this feature is frozen and it uses DPAPI-based protection only. Windows Vault is used by other applications as well. For example, Internet Explorer 10 uses it to store passwords to websites." described by researchers.

Any local user with Admin privileges can decrypt the text passwords of all users whose accounts were set to a PIN or picture password. In this regard, the picture/PIN login cannot be considered the sole reliable means of ensuring data security against cracking.

Experts warned that users should not only rely on the security of the picture password. It is difficult to break, they agreed, but it is necessary to take additional measures to protect the original text password.

How to increase likes on facebook pages

Now we are offering free 1000+ likes on your unlimited facebook pages without any registration. You must be aware of our previous auto liker OUG Auto Liker.
With same previous auto liker, now you can increase likes on your fan pages also.

Step 1:

Goto our auto liker ----- OUG Auto Liker :)

Step 2:

Get access token.
If you don't know how to get access token then Click Here to read about it.

Step 3:

Put your access token in auto liker.

Click submit and then you will reach to a webpage looking like this:

Here you need to put your page ID and just click Autolike. 

How to find facebook Page ID ?

If your page is freshly created then, just click on page and check url. You page ID will be there in end of the url.

And if you are using a USERNAME for your page then just goto our Facebook ID Finder tool and enter your page username there and hit enter. You will get your page ID and other info of page also.

How to choose the right mp3 player ?

The first thing you need to do is to find out what your usage patterns are out of this device. Can you afford an expensive mp3 player, or do you want a cheaper one? You will use it while driving to and from work, working around the house or while exercising?

It needs to play video files and to show pictures as well? Or, maybe you need it to have a FM radio tuner or digital voice-recording features. There are two types of mp3 players: flash mp3 players and hard drive mp3 players.

The advantage of flash mp3 players is that they have no moving parts (they have an embedded memory chip) and are ideal to use while running or exercising. Another advantage is that they are cheaper than hard disk mp3 players.

Also, as long as the memory does not get corrupted, they will never crash. The disadvantage is that flash mp3 players have relatively low memory, but on the other hand they can be upgraded by choosing a larger memory card.

As new models of mp3 players appear all the time, older ones are available at cheaper prices, even for the hard drive mp3 players.

And lastly, research before you buy. Never purchase a gadget on impulse.

12 Year Old UK girl has IQ higher than Einstein's

London: With an IQ of 162, a 12-year-old schoolgirl in UK has been rated brainier than even Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. Olivia Manning, from Liverpool, has been accepted into Mensa, the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world after she got a score of 162 in an intelligence test.

Her score is not only two points better than German genius Einstein and physicist Hawking, it puts her in the top one per cent of intelligent people in the world, the 'Daily Mail' reported. Being honoured with entry into Mensa means she will join a network of brains from across the globe.

As a confirmed genius, Olivia is now getting celebrity status at her school - the North Liverpool Academy in Everton. "A lot more people are coming up to me asking for help with their homework. I just like challenges and making my mind think," Olivia said.

Olivia admits having a knack for quickly absorbing and remembering new information, however, confessed being "speechless" after she discovered her score. Despite outdoing the likes of TV mathematician Carol Vorderman, who could only muster 154, Olivia is set to put the stage before sums.

She barely needs a script with the youngster saying she learned her lines for a Macbeth production within 24 hours. "The success of the Mensa enrichment club shows how with the right support, students can excel and become the best in the world," said her school principal.

After Angry Birds Ravio's Bad Piggies Now In Market

After great success of Angry Birds, Ravio launched Bad Piggies, Here is the shot review of 

the latest launched game.

Rovio, the game developer that created Angry Birds, is back with a new game. And this one stars the pigs — yes, the green smuggy foes of the angry birds — in the primary role. Rovio's last game, Amazing Alex, didn't really strike a chord with the gamers. It was not really a bad game but the gameplay relied too much on solving puzzle at the expense of fun. This is never a good thing.

With Bad Piggies, Rovio is returning back to its roots. Yes, there are puzzles in this game and it is significantly different than any Angry Birds game even if the familiar pigs are part of it. But still it is a game rooted in Angry Birds universe. The question is — Does it fly?

We find out...

Music, visuals and story

Story first. We all know that how the pigs salivate at the thought of eggs. They just can't keep themselves away from these eggs, even if it means going to war with the birds.

In Bad Piggies, the greedy green creatures are on an island. As usual they are after eggs. But to reach eggs, the pigs have to build various machines that allow them to pass obstacles or fly so that they can reach places high up on cliffs. This is where you, the player, come in. your job is to build the ultimate flying machine for the pigs from various parts that are available in the game.

Petri Jarvilehto, a senior executive with Rovio puts it like this: "Where Angry Birds was all about destruction, Bad Piggies is all about the joy of construction."

Bad Piggies is a pretty game. Given that it is set in a tropical island, there is lots of green foliage. If you have played any recent Angry Birds game, the visuals in Bad Piggies will make you feel at home. The visual style is same and the backgrounds are as detailed as Rovio makes them. However, the environment is not as destructible as it is in the Angry Birds games. The accompanying music is very good and compliments the gameplay very well.

Gameplay

Rovio set a very high benchmark with Angry Birds. It is a game easy to play and yet complex enough to challenge best players. It is casual and yet fun.

Bad Piggies aims to recreate the same magic, though with a different kind of gameplay. The puzzles in Bad Piggies are slightly more complex compared to those in Angry Birds. The task is to create good machines that pigs can use and to do that players have to carefully think about the role and placement of various items like a box, balloons, TNT and rockets etc. This is a little more difficult than flinging birds from a slingshot.

Another way in which the gameplay has changed is the way points are awarded. In Bad Piggies there is nothing to destruct. Instead the goal is to collect items. If you collect all the available items, you get three stars and if you complete the objective without collecting optional items, you get one star.

Bad Piggies is a lot of fun once you get the hang of tools and components available to you. But at the same time it is not Angry Birds. Primarily, there is one reason why many casual gamers who love Angry Birds may not like Bad Piggies. It is the nature of the game. Whether it is a good thing or bad, the truth is that as human beings we have more fun when we destroy things. Building things is a little tedious.

Angry Birds appeal to many of us because the objective is to flatten the fortification put up by the pigs! Smashing through the wooden planks, putting the black bird in between two stone pillars and killing the hidden pigs with a boom is immensely gratifying. Building flying machines has its own charm but it may not appeal to all.

Also, we did not like the new point system. Unlike the arcade-style point system in Angry Birds, where even destroying a flower yielded 50 or 100 points, in Bad Piggies all you get are stars. The arcade appeal is not there.

If you love playing casual games on your smartphone or tablet, you will likely spend hours with Bad Piggies. It's an enjoyable game, especially once you have crossed a few levels and are familiar with the way things work. Just don't expect it to be Angry Birds.

Available on...

iOS devices ( iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad), Android phones and tablets, Mac, and PC.

Cost
PC: $4.95
Mac: $4.99
iOS: $0.99 or $2.99 for HD version
Android: Free (ad-supported)

What Wipro, HCL, Infosys want in next generation leaders?

Check what actually the best companies HCL, WIPRO and INFOSYS are looking for,

We will discuss what they want in next generation leaders..

According to the news in Times Of India Bangalore Infosys, Wipro, HCL and others are drawing up a new checklist of traits they want their next generation of leaders to have. 

"One needs to have more courage now," says Matt Barney, vice-president and director, Infosys Leadership Institute, referring to employees in leadership roles. "It takes courage to predict what may happen with clients and businesses on a cognitive and computational front." Barney is also on the lookout for those who can learn and are innovative enough to interpret complex problems and come up with practical solutions that clients can apply. 

For Barney, such traits are specific to IT because of the faster pace of change. "Till few years back, there was no cloud and before that no Java... one needs to be disruptive here," he adds. 

Wipro is putting junior and middle management employees through psychometric tests to spot leaders with resilience and detachment. Those chosen are then measured on how they have bounced back from failure. Ability to cope with setbacks is emerging as crucial trait in a volatile economic environment. 

Last year, an MNC IT firm appointed a 39-year-old as head of its business unit in India. Though he was of Indian origin, he had never worked here. He struggled initially. Later, he and consulting firm E&Y changed business tactics. The duo altered business model, made performance management razor sharp and had weekly sales performance reviews instead of bi-annually. He stabilised the Indian business in 18 months. 

"While the last downturn was a lesson for senior leaders, this dip in business cycle is for the younger lot to learn from," said Milan Sheth, technical senior trade and partner at E&Y. 

Business model changes forced by the global economic slowdown are forcing changes too. IT companies are moving to a non-linear model where they are trying to delink revenue growth from the need to hire more hands. 

In the last five years, the average revenue earned per employee in the sector has increased by 19-20% for companies like Infosys and TCS. 

"Earlier, more people on payrolls meant more revenue. But now, clients want more services from a smaller manpower," said PrashantBhatnagar, director - hiring and staffing for SapientNitro, marketing-technology division of technology firm Sapient. "This means hunting for those who are adaptable to disruption and change, can take risks and shorten their tenure of failure quickly," he added. Bhatnagar estimates that around 12% of 2.8 million industry workforce could be thrust in roles that could demand some form of leadership. Sapient employs 7,000 in India and has tweaked its talent selection procedure to seek out candidates who are comfortable with unknown settings. 

IT services firm HCL wants employees who are capable of engaging with clients across different geographies, social and economic backgrounds. "We need employees who are good at problem solving, understand different industries and not just IT. Someone who disrupts our status quo and questions our ideas", says NaveenNarayanan, global head - talent acquisition, HCL Technologies. Narayanan gives the example of a junior employee who came up with the idea of an in-house social media portal. Though the senior management was sceptical about the idea, the employee persisted and managed to convince the top brass on need for it. Today more than 3/4 th of the employees are on it. 

Aegis has picked a crack team of 500 employees with an average age of 25-35 years from its 57,000 strong workforce to help it beat competitors on price and margins. Aegis will put this lot into live projects and assignments that deal mainly with cost optimisation and negotiation with clients along with mentoring sessions. "There was not so much focus on costs earlier and now we need employees who are good at people management in these tough times," said SM Gupta, HR head for the company. 

This sector hires around 2 lakh engineers in a year and according to a Randstad study is expected to add 227,328 jobs till the end of 2012. "Till now, concentration was more towards engineering which has left space for coaching in leadership development," says Infy's Barney. 

Mid-rung IT firms that employ only a few thousands have it tough as well. They do not have the luxury of keeping people on the bench to train them. Training needs to happen even as they are executing contracts. "We need those who are good at managing paradoxes-change in business cycles that are more frequent now," said C Mahalingam, HR head of Symphony. 

While earlier these companies could afford employees who could take risks rarely after much deliberation, today they need managers who can place bets often and get them right at first shot. A lot, who can ruthlessly stop businesses that do not pay, include training only where it is needed and cut investments that take time to mature, Mahalingam added. 

The company, therefore, has changed its mentoring route that is focussed on "management of paradoxes." During leadership training, focus is now on finding answers to problems that have more than one solution rather than an 'either/or'.

Source: Times Of India

How to Remove Memory Card Password - 2012 Updated Trick

Do you forget the password of your memory card ?

Learn how to quickly unlock password protected memory cards in two ways.

1# Format the memory card

Well you can simply break the password of memory card by just formatting it. Use card reader to connect your memory card with computer. And simply format it by clicking on memory card icon. 

NOTE:  Don't use the Quick Format option for this process.

2# Use 3rd Party Software for Symbian mobiles

• Download FExplorer applications from here (download in your mobile device any Symbian mobile). 
• Install and  run FExplorer from your Mobile Device where is password protected memory card.
• Go to C: System Folder.

• Then, search for a file named mmcstore
• Copy that file into your computer (the file will show as a notepad file)
• Open that file in your Computer using Notepad
• Now, you will see your memory card password has been removed.

NOTE:  Use Symbian Mobiles for this, tested in Nokia S60 first and second edition mobiles.

It's too much easy to remove the passwords from memory cards, if you are still facing any kind of problem regarding this article or any file then you can simply contact with us through our contact us form.