More technical details:

http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Password-cracker-100-times-faster-with-an-SSD-950184.html

Apparently, at issue is the LM Hash algorithm that XP uses to store passwords:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Password_cracking#Weak_encryption
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LM_hash

The other issue is that whomever is doing the cracking needs the hash
table of XP passwords, the equivalent of /etc/shadow on Linux systems.
 I don't know where passwords are stored on XP (in the registry?), but
if the bad guys  have the hash table aren't they already in your
system?

Regards,
- Robert

On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 2:37 PM, Theresa Kehoe <[email protected]> wrote:
> "... was able to crack 14-digit WinXP passwords with special characters
> in just 5.3 seconds."
>
> Dang!
>
> (here's the link)
>
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/12/password_cracking_on_crack/
>
> Theresa

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