Passwords are often learned until a security breach occurs. suffice to state that the value of a strong password only becomes apparent when faced with the repercussions of a poor one. However, most close people are unaware of just how vulnerable their credentials are to the most popular password-cracking methods. The three most common methods for breaking credentials are the following, along with how to protect against them.
Brute force attack
Brute force attacks are simple but powerful methods for cracking credentials. Through a series of registration attempts, malicious actors use automated tools to systematically try every possible login mixture. Even though these tools have been around for a long time, the availability of inexpensive storage and computing power has improved their efficiency, especially when using fragile passwords.
How it works
Harmful actors use a variety of strategies when it comes to brute force attacks, from straightforward brute force attacks that evaluate every possible combination to more complex brute force attacks like hybrid and reverse brute force attacks. Each technique has a specific goal, but the goal of brute force attacks is to obstruct others ‘ access to data or tools.
Among the most well-known automatic devices for carrying out brute force attacks are:
- A multiplatform login bread called John the Ripper that supports hundreds of hashes and encryption types and 15 different operating systems.
- : a device that uses rainbows tables, dictionaries, and cpu algorithms to bite Windows passwords
- : a cracking/password healing energy that supports five distinct forms of attack for over 300 highly-optimized encoding systems
Examples
U.S. wireless operator T-Mobile was the victim of a that began with a brute force attack in August 2021. In the wake of the security breach, over 37 million consumer records were exposed, including those that contained sensitive information like social security numbers, driver’s license knowledge, and other personally identifiable information.
Defense steps
Users should choose strong, complex passwords and multi-factor authentication ( MFA ) to protect against brute force attacks. Administrators should constantly check their Windows environments for poor and unbreakable passwords and apply account lockout measures. These operations can be automated using equipment like in complex IT conditions.
Dictionary strike
Cyber attackers attempt to gain access to a login dictionary attack by using a list of popular passwords or terms from a dictionary. This predefined word list typically includes the most often used words, phrases, and simple combinations ( i. e., “admin123” ). Login dictionary attacks emphasize the value of sophisticated, distinctive passwords because they are particularly effective against weak or implausible passwords.
How it works
Making a list of possible credentials from data breaches, popular password lists, or other publicly accessible resources is the first step. A dictionary attack is carried out by malicious actors using an automatic device, which tests each password against a goal system or account. The attacker can gain access to a match-spying device and carry out later attacks or movements.
Examples
In a number of well-known security incidents, including the 2013 Internet data breach and the , malicious actors used login definitions to hash passwords. This made it possible for them to take the bill details of billions of users.
Defense steps
When creating or , users may use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters, and avoid using common words or easily guessable statements. Administrators can put password difficulty requirements into their to maintain these requirements throughout the organization.
Rainbow stand attacks
A” Rainbow Table” ( also known as a” Rainbow Table” ) is made up of precomputed strings or commonly used passwords and corresponding hashes to crack the password hashes in a database.
How it works
Rainbow stand attacks work by exploiting chains of hashing and reduction operations to efficiently crack hashed passwords. Potential passwords are first hashed and stored alongside their plaintext counterparts in the rainbow table, then processed with a reduction function that maps them to new values, resulting in a chain of hashes. This process is repeated multiple times to build the rainbow table. When hackers obtain a , they can reverse lookup each hash value in the rainbow table—once a match is identified, the corresponding plaintext password is exposed.
Examples
While salting, which is the process by which strange characters are added to passwords before hashing, has reduced how effective rainbow table attacks are. Additionally, advances in GPUs and cheap hardware have removed storage limitations previously associated with rainbow tables. As a result, these assaults continue to be a possible technique in current and future high-profile cyber-attacks.
Defense steps
As mentioned previously, salted hashes have significantly reduced the effectiveness of precomputed tables, organizations should therefore implement strong hashing algorithms ( e. g., bcrypt, scrypt ) in their password processes. Officials may also regularly update and change passwords to lessen the chance that rainbow stand dictionaries will match or fail.
In short, credentials aren’t perfect, but difficult and properly extended passphrases remain a crucial first line of defense against sophisticated password-cracking techniques. By constantly comparing Active Directory against a database of over 4 billion credentials, devices like add an extra layer of protection. For a complimentary video, give us a call today.