Passwords are the keys to our digital lives. They protect our personal and professional data from unauthorized access and misuse. But how secure are our passwords? How do hackers guess them and what can we do to prevent them?
How Hackers Guess Passwords:
Hackers use a variety of methods to guess passwords. One of the most common methods is called a dictionary attack. This method involves using a list of words and adding a few permutations (like substituting $ for s) to enable a password cracker to learn many passwords quickly¹. Another method is called brute-force guessing attack. There are only so many potential passwords of a given length, so hackers can use software programs and databases to help them figure out credentials that might work³. A hybrid attack mixes these two techniques¹.
Hackers can also find personal information about you such as the day and month you were born and use that information to guess your password or use a brute force attack². They might also use social engineering techniques to trick you into revealing your password or clicking on a malicious link that installs malware on your device⁴. Hackers can also exploit data breaches where millions of passwords are leaked from popular online services and use them to try logging into other accounts³.
How to Stop Hackers from Guessing Your Passwords:
The best way to stop hackers from guessing your passwords is to create strong passwords that are difficult to guess and use different passwords for different accounts. Here are some tips on how to create strong passwords:
- Use at least 12 characters, but 14 or more is better².
- Combine numbers, lowercase letters, uppercase letters, and symbols¹.
- Avoid using words that can be found in a dictionary or names of people, characters, products, or organizations².
- Avoid using personal information such as your birthday, pet’s name, or favorite sports team².
- Avoid using common passwords such as 123456, password, qwerty, or iloveyou³.
- Use a memorable phrase or sentence and replace some letters with numbers or symbols. For example, “I love pizza with pineapple” could become “1L0v3P!zz@w!thP!n3@ppl3” ¹.
- Use a password manager to generate and store strong passwords for you. A password manager is a software application that creates random passwords for your accounts and saves them in an encrypted vault that only you can access with a master password. Some examples of password managers are LastPass, Dashlane, and NordPass ¹³.
Another way to stop hackers from guessing your passwords is to use two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever available. 2FA adds an extra layer of security by requiring something you know (your password) and something you have (like your phone) to log in³. For example, after entering your password, you might receive a code via text message or an app that you need to enter to access your account. This way, even if hackers get your password, they won’t be able to log in without the second factor.
Passwords are essential for protecting your online accounts and data from hackers. However, hackers have many ways of guessing passwords and breaking into your accounts. To prevent this, you need to create strong passwords that are hard to guess and use different passwords for different accounts. You also need to use 2FA whenever possible and avoid clicking on suspicious links or sharing your password with anyone. By following these tips, you can make your passwords more secure and keep hackers at bay.
Learn More On These Sources:
(1) How Hackers Guess Passwords – LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-hackers-guess-passwords-christian-ukpong
(2) how do hackers get your passwords? | ITPro. https://www.itpro.com/security/34616/the-top-password-cracking-techniques-used-by-hackers
(3) How Do Hackers Get Passwords? – The LastPass Blog. https://blog.lastpass.com/2020/10/how-do-hackers-get-passwords/
(4) How Hackers Use Social Engineering to Get Passwords on Facebook. https://www.zerofox.com/blog/innocuous-facebook-quizzes-attacker-intel-goldmines/