Question

How does a Dictionary attack differ from a Brute Force attack? Responses Dictionary attacks are slower and more exhaustive Dictionary attacks are slower and more exhaustive Dictionary attacks try all possible combinations until the right guess works Dictionary attacks try all possible combinations until the right guess works Dictionary attacks attempt to crack passwords using precalculated hashes Dictionary attacks attempt to crack passwords using precalculated hashes Dictionary attacks use commonly used words or passwords from a list

Answer 1

A Dictionary attack and a Brute Force attack are both methods used to crack passwords, but they differ significantly in their approaches:

1. Dictionary Attack:

   • Dictionary attacks use a predefined list of words, phrases, or commonly used passwords (a "dictionary") to attempt to guess the password. The attack focuses on words that users are likely to choose, making it faster than trying every possible combination.
   • The method generally leverages the fact that many users tend to use simple, easily guessable passwords.

2. Brute Force Attack:

   • Brute Force attacks try all possible combinations of characters (letters, numbers, symbols) until the correct password is found. This method is exhaustive and can take much longer, especially for complex passwords, as it does not rely on any prior knowledge of commonly used passwords.
   • Brute Force is more comprehensive because it aims to cover all possibilities instead of just a selection based on common uses.

In summary, the primary distinction lies in the approach: Dictionary attacks utilize a list of probable passwords, while Brute Force attacks try every possible combination without any prior assumptions about the password's composition.