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In cryptanalysis and computer security, password cracking is the process of guessing passwords [1] protecting a computer system.A common approach (brute-force attack) is to repeatedly try guesses for the password and to check them against an available cryptographic hash of the password. [2]
The salt and hash are then stored in the database. To later test if a password a user enters is correct, the same process can be performed on it (appending that user's salt to the password and calculating the resultant hash): if the result does not match the stored hash, it could not have been the correct password that was entered.
A strong password is your first line of defense against intruders and imposters. Here are some helpful tips on creating a secure password so you can make sure your information remains safe. Create a strong password • Use unique words - Don't use obvious words like "password". • Have 12 or more characters - Longer passwords are more secure.
Passwords or passphrases created by humans are often short or predictable enough to allow password cracking, and key stretching is intended to make such attacks more difficult by complicating a basic step of trying a single password candidate. Key stretching also improves security in some real-world applications where the key length has been ...
Systems that use passwords for authentication must have some way to check any password entered to gain access. If the valid passwords are simply stored in a system file or database, an attacker who gains sufficient access to the system will obtain all user passwords, giving the attacker access to all accounts on the attacked system and possibly other systems where users employ the same or ...
The easier a password is for the owner to remember generally means it will be easier for an attacker to guess. [12] However, passwords that are difficult to remember may also reduce the security of a system because (a) users might need to write down or electronically store the password, (b) users will need frequent password resets and (c) users are more likely to re-use the same password ...
If an attacker has the hashes of a user's password, they do not need the cleartext password; they can simply use the hash to authenticate with a server and impersonate that user. [4] [5] [6] In other words, from an attacker's perspective, hashes are functionally equivalent to the original passwords that they were generated from.
A password policy is a set of rules designed to enhance computer security by encouraging users to employ strong passwords and use them properly. A password policy is often part of an organization's official regulations and may be taught as part of security awareness training. Either the password policy is merely advisory, or the computer ...