Password integrity

[dfgp]

What is the posibility of break in an excel sheet protected by a 20 character alpha-numeric password? A PC was stolen from my work and -how stupid of me- I kept sensible financial information in some archives (The kind that get you fired/under lawsuit). Thanks in advance.

 

[combo]

If you are looking for an utility to remove sheet protection, try free:

http://www.straxx.com/excel/password.html

It is more complicated if you need to open workbook requiring password to open.
Up to excel version 95 simple encrypting metod was used, easy to crack. Higher versions (97 and next ones) use strong encrypting and only brute force methods are 100% effective. You can buy software to find password or send file to decrypt, and the best way is to find offers in internet.

 

[456785145]

Sorry to tell you this, but just about any local machine is accessible within 24 hours. This including any files present.

Bios passwords can be reset.
Windows security is easely fooled if working locally.
Office passwords can be decrypted by different sorts of tools and otherwise disabled.

 

[dfgp]

So you tell me even if the sheet and the woorbook itself are protected with the weirdest and unfamiliar password (20 character ands numbers combinated) someone actually can access it? Better not show this at work...

 

[xlhelp]

dfgp,

Let me give you some false sense of security. Although it is fairly easy to break passwords, depending on the Excel version, the encryption is fairly strong as well. The better utilities on the market will crack a five letter password in a few minutes, whereas a seven letter password may take close to 24 hours. So your 20 character password may be fairly safe. Then again,

It all depends on how clever the thief is. "Amicule, num is sum qui mentiar tibi?"

 

[dfgp]

thank you people. Now let me cross my fingers.

 

[456785145]

If the thief opens your Excel Workbook in Office XP, you have a problem. There is a Office-DLL-crack available that just shuts off the security feature in Office.
Meaning, without any force any password-protected Office-file is accessible...

Sorry...

 

[xlbo]

Basically, if someone really wants to crack your passwords, they can BUT, unless they are actually after your work specifically (ie they targetted the theft from you on purpose as opposed to an opportunist crime), it is unlikely that they will even be bothered to look for any financial data and then they would have to go out and purchase a password cracker utility and then have the patience to wait for it to work...IMHO, most computer type thefts are for the computers themselves as opposed the information contained within Rgds
Geoff

Vah! Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur

 

[dfgp]

The dll crack includes the latest version? (XP Sp2) Or the file can be opened in another computer with an earlier version of XP, regardless of the one used to create it (Upgraded)? I know the thieves probably wants the parts, but we have leaks before. Do you have a policy about similar situations (Security/Storage) or simply this doesn't happen to you?
Thanks.

 

[456785145]

I'm not sure about XP SP2. But the problem with security is that, when someone invents a new security feature, the crack, patch or whatever is created soon after.

The only policy that we have on these matters is simple, don't keep sensative files on a laptop. Ofcourse this policy is impossible to implement, because people go on trips etc. So we just hope a laptop doesn't get stolen...