Password cracking is the technique of using specialized software to find forgotten or unknown passwords to gain access to a secured computer system or network. It allows users to find forgotten passwords and also helps enterprise administrators determine whether weak passwords are used within their companies. The threat actors may also try to break passwords to gain unauthorized access to resources, and occasionally, to breach the accounts of users who are authorized.
What is a Password Cracker?
A password cracker recovers passwords using various techniques. The method could involve the comparison of a set of words to determine passwords or employing algorithms to continually identify the password.
Understanding the Main Purpose of Password Cracking
The principal purpose of cracking passwords is to find and break the password, usually to use it for criminal purposes. The password can belong to a person or an administrator. The risk is typically higher if you crack an admin’s password, as it enables the attacker the ability to access highly privileged systems and sensitive information. Because of this, passwords that are cracked are a significant security risk in security breaches and attacks on privilege escalation.
By gaining information through password cracking, criminals can carry out a variety of criminal acts. For instance, they could utilize a user’s password to access their bank account and their funds. In addition, they could make use of the password to steal an individual’s identity details. Another popular use of hacking passwords is that it allows you to commit a kind of fraud.
Also read: Best way to unlock PST file – PST Password Recovery
What are Password Cracking Techniques?
Password crackers may use many different techniques to determine the legitimate passwords. The most popular methods are the following:
Brute force
If nothing else works, password hackers have recourse to assault of the brute force method as their last alternative. It involves testing every possible combination until you reach the jackpot. However, password cracking software permits you to alter the attack and dramatically reduce the time required to test every variation. The user and his behavior are the weakest link here.
Dictionary Search
In this method, the password cracker scans every word of the dictionary — a collection of commonly used words or phrases to search for and then reveal the proper password. Password dictionaries are available for a range of topics and combinations of subjects, such as movies, politics, and musical groups. The cracker will automatically check each phrase or word in the dictionary till it lands on the right password.
Credential stuffing
Credential stuffing is a computer-generated method that involves trying multiple authentic credentials on multiple websites to gain unauthorised access to the websites. Credentials are typically taken in data breaches and threats, actors acquire them on the dark internet. Credential stuffing exploits the fact that users tend to use the same password on several accounts, which creates opportunities for malicious actors to launch large-scale intrusions and cyberattacks.
Malware
Malware like keyloggers that monitor keystrokes, and screen scrapers, that capture screenshots, allow attackers to gain access to passwords, without the need for password cracking tools.
Phishing
Threat actors use Phishing attacks to access user passwords without needing the use of a password-breaking tool. Instead, users are tricked into clicking the email address or downloading an attached file. The attachment can create malware on the computer of the user, which will steal their password, and the link will prompt the user to sign in to a fraudulent and dangerous version of the website, and again reveal their password.
Rainbow table
This approach involves making use of different words to the password used in order to create different passwords. Criminals use the rainbow table as an informational list that contains stolen and previously compromised passwords. This list lets hackers quickly find passwords based on the given hash. This technique is especially effective in breaking passwords that are not encrypted properly.
Guess the password.
An attacker may be in a position to guess passwords without the aid of tools.
Certain password cracking software may employ hybrid attack strategies that combine the advantages of dictionary attacks and brute force. With a combination attack the program looks for combination of entries from a dictionary, special characters, or numbers, that are added on the last line of the password.
Best Password Cracking Tools
1. Ophcrack.
Ophcrack is a completely free Windows password cracker, with an intuitive graphic user interface. It employs Rainbow tables for cracking passwords. It it also has a brute-force feature to break simple passwords.
2. John the Ripper
In many of the most popular lists of password cracking tools, John the Ripper is a free, open-source command-based program. It is available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and Android users have access to Hash Suite, developed by one of the contributors.
3. Cain and Abel
It has been downloaded more than two million times via its own official website. Cain & Abel is another tool that is popular for cracking passwords. However, unlike John the Ripper, it makes use of a GUI, which makes it immediately easier to use and accessible to users. This, along with the availability to users on Windows and only makes Cain & Abel a go-to tool for novices and script kiddies.
4. Hashcat
It claims to be the world’s most efficient password cracker. Hashcat is a free, open-source tool that is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It provides a variety of methods, from a simple brute force attack to hybrid masks.
5. CrackStation
CrackStation is a no-cost password hash cracker that makes use of massive pre-calculated lookup tables for cracking purposes. The tables can map hashes of passwords and their respective passwords, and are simple to find due to the calculated hash value. Lookup tables for MD5 and Secure Hash Algorithm 1 hashes include more than 15 billion records.
Also read: How to Create A Strong and Secure Password Policy
Best Practices to Protect Your Password
Alongside ensuring that users use strong passwords, companies can implement best practices to guard their data and systems from attempts to crack passwords of threat actors, which include the following:
- Encrypt all passwords. Passwords stored in databases should be secured. For encrypted passwords, you need the decryption key. Without this key an intruder will not be capable of stealing the password.
- Use MFA system. Use an MFA system to supply several authentication methods instead of using a password. With MFA, even when an attacker manages to hack an account password, they aren’t in a position to gain access to the system since they don’t have the other factors required to gain access.
- Update all systems regularly. Regularly updating systems ensures that vulnerabilities that can be exploited are fixed. This will stop malicious actors from being able to attack systems. The updated system can also prevent keyloggers and malware from stealing passwords.
Ending Point
The best way to protect yourself from password cracking is by using a secure password. Utilizing enough symbols and diverse characters guarantees that even the most powerful computer can’t break into your account during this lifetime. Since remembering multiple secure passwords is not likely and therefore the best choice is to make use of a dependable password manager. Two-factor authentication can be an annoyance for hackers, and a fingerprint or facial ID is a good way to ensure your data is secure at a minimum for the time being.
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