The hacker posted detailed information, including names, accounts and passwords, about how he broke into the systems of InstantSSL.it, an Italian company that resold certificates supplied by a US-based company called Comodo.
The recent takeover of the Associated Press's Twitter account by Syrian hackers, which caused a momentary hundred-and-fifty-point drop in the Dow, is an example of the kind of havoc a stolen password can bring about.
Page 1 MAKING PASSWORDS SECURE When creating a password, think about the number 10.
"Whether or not Reddit prompts you to change your password, think about whether you still use the password you used on Reddit 11 years ago on any other sites today.
On the screen, I tapped the name of the existing Wi-Fi network, entered its password, waited about a minute, and that was it.
How about passwords as part of that process?
If there's one complaint I hear more than any other, however, it's about passwords.
As well as raising issues about password security on Twitter, the incident also raises questions about the status of Anonymous.
More than 6m LinkedIn passwords and about 1.5m eHarmony passwords have reportedly been published.
Another alternative to passwords is about to get a look.
