Brute Force Attack: What It Is and How to Protect Yourself

Brute Force Attack: Cracking Passwords Through Sheer Persistence

A brute force attack is a straightforward yet potentially devastating cyberattack method. It involves systematically trying every possible combination of characters to guess a password or decrypt data. Imagine a thief trying every key on a giant keychain until they find the one that unlocks your door – that's the essence of a brute force attack in the digital world.

How Brute Force Attacks Work:

1. Target Identification: Attackers choose their target, which could be anything from email accounts and social media profiles to online banking portals and sensitive databases.
2. Automated Guessing: Hackers use software tools that automatically generate and submit countless password combinations. These tools can test thousands or even millions of possibilities per second, depending on their sophistication and the target system's security measures.
3. Success (or Exhaustion): The attack continues until the correct password is discovered, granting the attacker unauthorized access. Alternatively, the attack might be programmed to stop after a certain time limit or number of attempts to avoid raising suspicions.

Why Brute Force Attacks are Effective:

• Simplicity: They don't require advanced hacking skills; even novice attackers can launch them using readily available tools.
• Effectiveness Against Weak Passwords: Short, simple passwords using common words or patterns are extremely vulnerable to brute force attacks.
• Persistence: Automated tools allow attackers to run these attacks for extended periods, increasing the likelihood of success.

Better protect user passwords

There is little point in users following strong password best practices if their organization is not capable of protecting their data from brute force attacks. The onus is also on the organization to safeguard its users and bolster network security through tactics such as: 

1. Use high encryption rates: Encrypting system passwords with the highest available encryption rates, such as 256-bit, limits the chances of a brute force attack succeeding and makes passwords harder to crack.
2. Salt the hash: Salting the hash is a cryptography tactic that enables system administrators to strengthen their password hashes. They add a salt—random letters and numbers stored in a separate database—to a password to strengthen and protect it.
3. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA): When you add authentication to a user login, you take the dependence away from passwords. With MFA, after a user logs in with their password, they will be prompted to provide additional proof that they are who they say they are, such as a code sent via SMS or on their device or a fingerprint scan. This can prevent a hacker from gaining access to a user’s account or business system even if they have the user’s login credentials.
4. Limit login attempts: Limiting the number of times a user is able to re-enter their password credentials reduces the success rate of brute force attacks. Preventing another login attempt after two or three failed logins can deter a potential attacker, while locking down an account completely after numerous failed login attempts stops the hacker from repeatedly testing username and password combinations.
5. Use CAPTCHA to support logins: Adding a CAPTCHA box to the login process can prevent an attacker from using computers to brute force their way into a user account or business network. CAPTCHA options include typing text images that appear on the screen, checking multiple image boxes, and identifying objects that appear. 
6. Use an Internet Protocol (IP) blacklist: Deploying a blacklist of IPs used in attacks helps protect a business network and its users from known attackers. It is important to keep this blacklist up to date to prevent new attacks.
7. Remove unused accounts: Unused or unmaintained accounts offer an open door for cyber criminals to launch an attack against an organization. Businesses must ensure they regularly remove unused accounts or, ideally, remove accounts as soon as employees leave the organization to prevent them from being used in a brute force attack. This is especially important for employees with high-level permission status or access rights to sensitive corporate information.

Provide ongoing security and password support

In addition to user awareness and solid IT security, businesses must ensure that systems and software are always kept up to date and provide ongoing support to employees. 

1. Provide password education: It is important for users to understand what good security and password usage best practices look like and to recognize the telltale signs of cyberattacks. They also need regular education and updates to keep them aware of the latest threats and reinforce good practices. Corporate password manager tools or vaults also enable users to save complex passwords and eliminate the risk of losing their passwords, which could put corporate data at risk.
2. Monitor networks in real time: Brute force attacks can be spotted through telltale activity such as multiple login attempts and logins from new devices or unusual locations. Businesses must constantly monitor their systems and networks for suspicious or unusual behavior and block potentially malicious activity immediately.

Beyond Passwords: Other Targets of Brute Force Attacks:

While password cracking is the most common application, brute force attacks can also target:

• Encryption Keys: Attackers try different keys to decrypt sensitive data.
• API Keys: Brute-forcing API keys can grant unauthorized access to applications and data.
• Website Login Pages: Attackers might target login forms to gain access to admin panels or user data.

By understanding how brute force attacks work and implementing robust security measures, you can significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to these persistent cyber threats.