Yes, it's time to change your Windows password. Swiss researchers have found a way to crack your password in under two minutes.

Microsoft can't be entirely blamed for this -- sure, their password encryption scheme sucks compared to UNIX-derived systems (like my personal favorite), but most people choose passwords that are too easy. Your pet's name is not a good password. Hell, I'm fully aware that MY password is lame.

But no more. For every system that requires a password, if it allows characters other than alphanumeric (a-z, A-Z, 0-9), I'm going to add some. Even if its just a period in the middle of the password, that's enough to throw off this new technique.

Here's my beef, though. The researchers were kind enough publish worldwide, now telling every hacker on the planet how to do it. Why is it that when so-called white-collar hackers exploit weaknesses in software that they have to tell the world exactly how they did it, putting the tools in to the hands of hacker groups like Cult of the Dead Cow? Isn't it enough to say, "Hey, we cracked your shit?" and give the software companies involved a chance to fix the problem? I'm sure there are plenty of security experts out there who do this, and thanks for that. But now millions of systems are at risk because any scriptkiddie with a top-of-the-line computer (and most have them) can use this method to crack open networks.

Believe me, if I had the knowledge to find holes in Windows, I'd tell Microsoft -- not the world -- so they could fix it before it gets exploited, no matter how much I despise Microsoft. And Microsoft better fix this password encryption business toute suite. After all, now that the security of our nation is resting on Microsoft's shoulders, I'd kind of like to know that Donald Rumsfeld's network password is safe.