Editing 2176: How Hacking Works

{{comic
| number    = 2176
| date      = July 15, 2019
| title     = How Hacking Works
| image     = how_hacking_works.png
| titletext = If only somebody had warned them that the world would roll them like this.
}}

==Explanation==
In similar spirit to [[538: Security]], this comic deals with how many people perceive hacking and security best practices, and how it differs from the actual reality. Specifically, the comic points out the flaw in the argument of some security-minded people that writing passwords down on a sheet of paper is a massive {{w|OPSEC|operational security}} vulnerability, not accounting for the {{w|threat model}} of the general public: reused passwords being leaked from seemingly benign places.

The first panel shows a group of masked men, who have apparently flown to the US from a different country and broken into someone's house. They find a book labeled "Passwords" that contains all the passwords of their target, and one reports this using a {{w|walkie-talkie}}, while another remarks that the target is a fool for writing down their passwords. While it is true that storing passwords on paper is generally a bad idea, one has to keep in mind the alternatives&mdash;password reuse or unencrypted password documents on a computer&mdash;that non-technical people might otherwise engage in. These are far easier to exploit for a casual attacker that goes for quantity over quality.  In addition, given the larger group of potential attackers are the remote attackers, storing passwords on a piece of paper, while horrible for security from a local "in person" attacker, is actually pretty effective against a remote attacker being able to gather up your passwords.

The second panel goes into detail how such an attack is usually executed: First, a database containing usernames/emails and associated passwords or insufficiently salted password hashes is stolen from an improperly secured website. Randall's example uses a fictional breach of a small forum dedicated to the band {{w|Smash Mouth}}, but even large companies are not immune to leaks. Assuming the passwords were not hashed, the crooks then go on and automatically try to log in to a popular payment service, {{w|Venmo}}, with the harvested credentials. Even though the success rate might be just fractions of a percent, due to the scale and cheapness of the attack (which can be automated, requiring no sustained effort from the crooks), it is likely still profitable. Such an attack has previously been discussed in [[792: Password Reuse]].

Although writing passwords on paper can allow users to create unique complex passwords without being limited by human memory, and therefore protect themselves from these sorts of mass-breach attacks, their passwords are now more vulnerable to insider attacks by e.g. family members, close friends, or co-workers.  Most crimes are committed by people known to their victims, especially compared to the chances of your particular physical security failings [[416: Zealous Autoconfig|being so personally targeted by an otherwise disinterested third party]].

The way recommended by most security experts to prevent these kinds of attacks is to use a password manager - a secure application that stores all of your passwords in an encrypted vault that only you can access. This way, you only need to remember one password - the master password to your vault - and all of your other passwords can be as long, different, and random as you like. This means that even if a crook manages to get one of your passwords, they won't be able to use it to access any other sites, and so the attack shown in the comic would fail.  Websites can also support {{w|two-factor authentication}}, where the user must supply a randomly changing code from a second device, such as a cell phone application or standalone keyfob, to log in.

The title text is referring to Smash Mouth's song "{{w|All Star (song)|All Star}}," where the first line of the lyrics is "Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me."  The singer subsequently admits that he is not "the sharpest tool in the shed," which would be consistent with re-using simple passwords across multiple accounts (including financial accounts).

==Transcript==
:[Two panels with a caption below each panel:]

:[Three masked characters standing near a desk with a computer inside a home. One of the masked characters is holding a notebook.]
:Masked Character 1 [holding a walkie-talkie]: Control, we have flown to the USA and breached the target's house.
:Masked Character 2: They wrote all their passwords in a book labeled "Passwords"!
:Masked Character 3: The fool!

:[Caption below the panel:]
: How people think hacking works

:[Two Cueball-like characters, each sitting on opposite sides of a single desk with laptops in front of them]
:Cueball 1: Hey look, someone leaked the emails and passwords from the Smash Mouth message boards.
:Cueball 2: Cool, let's try them all on Venmo.

:[Caption below the panel:]
: How it actually works

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Computer security]]