Considering the fact that an average user has to manage at least 4 to 5 online accounts, a lot of people end up setting the same or easy-to-remember passwords for all of them. The exasperation of remembering different passwords and ignorance about the consequences of a data breach are the main reasons behind a security attack. The ever increasing use of internet and poor password practices has created unlimited opportunities for the hackers to steal important data, tamper websites, gain access to financial information etc.
Listed below are some of the common types of password attacks:
- Brute Force Attack: In this attack, the hacker uses a computer program to try every possible password combination until the correct one is found. Using a list of some of the most common passwords, such as ‘123456’, ‘password’ or ‘Password1234’, the hacker attempts to gain access to the user’s account. Due to the endless combinations of letters, numbers and symbols, brute force attack may take a long time to be completed.
- Guessing Game: This is another form of brute force attack that involves guessing a user’s password by trying the most obvious words, such as names of loved ones, pets, places, numbers, birth dates, phone numbers etc. Even combination passwords, such as ‘name123’ are quite trivial to guess.
- Keylogger Attack: It refers to a type of physical breach in which the hacker tracks the keystrokes to record the user name and password. Even a strong password or encrypted login credentials do not provide complete protection from this attack. Initially, the user may be tricked to install the keylogger software, either through phishing or in the form of a drive-by download. Whenever you login to your account, the software traces everything you have typed and transmits it to the hacker to gain easy access to your information.
- Intercepting: Passwords can also be captured when they are transmitted over the network in an unencrypted format. Packet sniffers and other network monitoring software may be used by the hackers to intercept your login details as well as online financial transactions. These types of attacks most commonly occur when users access their online accounts through unsecure wireless networks.
Centex Technologies is a leading IT security company serving the businesses in Dallas, TX. For more information on the common password attacks and the ways to prevent them, feel free to call us at (972) 375 – 9654.
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