What is a characteristic of a password guessing attack?

What is a characteristic of a password guessing attack?

• A. It blends guessing with brute-force techniques
• B. It relies solely on social engineering
• C. It takes advantage of the user’s password history
• D. It is a form of a dictionary attack

Answer: (D)

A password guessing attack is essentially an attempt to gain unauthorized access to a system by systematically trying different passwords until the correct one is discovered. Characterizing it as a form of a dictionary attack is accurate because a dictionary attack specifically involves using a prearranged list of likely passwords (the "dictionary") to guess a user's password. This list might include common passwords, variations of a user’s personal information, or combinations that are frequently used. In a dictionary attack, the attacker leverages the understanding that many users choose passwords based on predictable patterns or common words, making it an effective strategy. By employing this method, the attacker can often compromise accounts more efficiently than by trying every possible combination through a brute-force method, which attempts all possible character combinations. The other options describe different concepts that are not strictly characteristic of password guessing attacks. Blending guessing with brute-force techniques suggests a hybrid approach, which is less focused than a pure password guessing strategy. Relying solely on social engineering pertains to manipulating individuals rather than technical mechanisms for access. Utilizing the user’s password history refers to an entirely different attack vector, where the attacker takes advantage of a user’s previously used passwords rather than guessing.

A password guessing attack is essentially an attempt to gain unauthorized access to a system by systematically trying different passwords until the correct one is discovered. Characterizing it as a form of a dictionary attack is accurate because a dictionary attack specifically involves using a prearranged list of likely passwords (the "dictionary") to guess a user's password. This list might include common passwords, variations of a user’s personal information, or combinations that are frequently used.

In a dictionary attack, the attacker leverages the understanding that many users choose passwords based on predictable patterns or common words, making it an effective strategy. By employing this method, the attacker can often compromise accounts more efficiently than by trying every possible combination through a brute-force method, which attempts all possible character combinations.

The other options describe different concepts that are not strictly characteristic of password guessing attacks. Blending guessing with brute-force techniques suggests a hybrid approach, which is less focused than a pure password guessing strategy. Relying solely on social engineering pertains to manipulating individuals rather than technical mechanisms for access. Utilizing the user’s password history refers to an entirely different attack vector, where the attacker takes advantage of a user’s previously used passwords rather than guessing.