Ranchi, March 27: It does not require much intelligence to hack into an account.

This was the message from independent cyber consultant Anup Girdhar at a seminar on the ethics of hacking.

The event was organised by the department of computer science of Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, today.

Girdhar, who runs an independent cyber consultancy in Delhi and is a member of the National Anti-Hacking Group, said people were careless when it came to using PIN and e-mail passwords.

Using simple demonstrations, Girdhar showed how easy it was for anyone to retrieve confidential data.

The consultant spoke about social engineering where people close to the victim use their ATM card by guessing the password by using objects familiar to them.

?These people will have a lot of information about the victim,? said Girdhar.

Men, for example, said the consultant, often use their wife?s or girl friend?s birthdays as their PIN. Other popular passwords include their vehicle?s license plates.

?The hacker will first try these combinations,? he said.

There is a way to prevent identity theft ? changing the PIN as often as possible.

E-mails, said Girdhar, are also prone to misuse.

The cyber consultant asked internet users to avoid cyber caf?s or a friend?s personal computer if possible as details such as websites were accessed, e-mail accounts used and their passwords are all recorded in the personal computer?s log files.

Girdhar discussed the other methods, which a hacker uses to retrieve information about his victims.

The consultant gave a special warning to those who do their shopping online. The only way to avoid being a victim said the consultant is to be cautious and remain vigilant.