The biggest data breaches of the last five years have involved the publication of entire password databases through a backdoor: Adobe, Gawker, Sony PSN, Microsoft, Linkedin, etc., etc.. Once the database is made public, crackers can run parallel brute-force attacks. (Heck, AT&T just revealed that a disgruntled employee walked out the door with a bunch of information.) Front-door timeouts are meaningless as of five years ago. At this point, you shouldn't trust any site not to lose their password database.
I wouldn't really care if I lost say, my Twitter or my Tumblr. But I would care if I lost my Paypal or my email address.
Unless you reuse passwords, which most people do, including a Gawker employee who used the same password for commenting and site administration.
no subject
The biggest data breaches of the last five years have involved the publication of entire password databases through a backdoor: Adobe, Gawker, Sony PSN, Microsoft, Linkedin, etc., etc.. Once the database is made public, crackers can run parallel brute-force attacks. (Heck, AT&T just revealed that a disgruntled employee walked out the door with a bunch of information.) Front-door timeouts are meaningless as of five years ago. At this point, you shouldn't trust any site not to lose their password database.
I wouldn't really care if I lost say, my Twitter or my Tumblr. But I would care if I lost my Paypal or my email address.
Unless you reuse passwords, which most people do, including a Gawker employee who used the same password for commenting and site administration.