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How Hackers Steal Passwords 5 Attack Methods Explained

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How Hackers Steal Passwords 5 Attack Methods Explained

AI Summary

Summary of Video vKPGZHoHX8k: How Bad Guys Hack Passwords

Overview

  • Password-related attacks are the most prevalent type of cyber crime, as highlighted by reports from IBM and the X-Force Threat Intelligence Index.
  • The video outlines five approaches hackers use to compromise passwords: guessing, harvesting, cracking, spraying, and stuffing.

Techniques Used by Attackers

  1. Guessing
    • Hackers attempt to guess passwords based on limited information or known passwords from previous breaches.
    • Systems employ lockout policies after a few incorrect attempts to combat repeated guessing.
  2. Harvesting
    • Attackers may gain direct access to passwords through malware (keyloggers) or phishing attacks that trick users into providing their credentials.
  3. Cracking
    • This involves extracting hashed passwords from a compromised database and using techniques like brute force or dictionaries of common passwords to identify the original passwords.
  4. Password Spraying
    • Attackers use a known password on multiple accounts within the same system, avoiding lockout strategies by trying many accounts with one guess at a time.
  5. Credential Stuffing
    • Similar to spraying, but involves trying the same guessed password across multiple systems rather than accounts, exploiting reused passwords on different platforms.

Prevention Strategies

  • Employ strong password policies that focus on complexity and length.
  • Use password managers to generate and store unique passwords.
  • Implement multi-factor authentication to add additional security layers.
  • Consider transitioning to passkeys for enhanced security.
  • Use rate limiting to prevent excessive login attempts.

Detection Strategies

  • Monitor login attempts for unusual patterns, such as multiple failures within a short time or across many accounts, indicating potential password spraying.

Response Measures

  • Block suspicious IP addresses and disable accounts that show signs of compromise.
  • Require password changes for accounts suspected of being compromised to mitigate damage.

Conclusion

  • Understanding these attack methods and implementing robust security measures can significantly reduce vulnerabilities and deter potential hackers.

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