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How do Password Hacking Programs Work?
Password hacking programs work by using a number of different approaches to either decrypt or guess a working password.
Three of the most common approaches used by password hacking programs are:
- Known Ciphertext Attacks
- Dictionary Attacks
- Brute Force Attacks
The specific algorithm used by the password hacking program will depend upon the design of the password system. Each password hacking program is usually designed to defeat one specific type of password protection. For example, Cisco router passwords, Zip passwords, or Microsoft Word passwords.
Known Ciphertext Attacks
A known ciphertext attack uses cryptanalysis to determine the plaintext password from the ciphertext password.
If the password encryption algorithm has no known weaknesses, password hacking programs will use either a dictionary attack or a brute force attack to attempt to guess the password.
Dictionary Attacks
Dictionary attacks work by exploiting the fact that people often choose very simple passwords. A dictionary attack consists simply of trying every word in the dictionary as a possible password. For you or I, trying every word in the dictionary would take a long time. Computers are faster and more patient, and they work 24*7.
More advanced dictionary attacks will try variations or combinations of common dictionary words. One popular password variation is to replace o's with zeros and i's with ones. A popular combination is to use two short words with a number in the middle, such as "all4one " or "girl4me."
Brute Force Attacks
If a dictionary attack fails to reveal a password, a brute force attack is still possible. A brute force attack consists simply of trying every possible password.
Brute force attacks can take a long time, even for computers. The general rule is that the longer the possible password, the longer the brute force attack will take to run.
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