18 Questions
What is the main reason passwords can be a nightmare in cybersecurity?
The risk of choosing weak or recycled passwords
How do passwords work during the authentication process?
By comparing the input password to the stored password in databases
What is the main purpose of hashing passwords?
To convert passwords into irreversible hash values
Why is storing passwords as clear text considered a security risk?
Because it makes the passwords easy to read
What method uses a key for encrypting and decrypting passwords for verification?
Encryption
What are rainbow tables commonly used for in cybersecurity attacks?
Cracking hashed passwords
What security measure involves appending a random string to passwords before hashing?
Salting
What action results in a completely different hash value when using hashing for password storage?
Making a minor change in the input password
What technique involves trying all possible combinations of characters to crack passwords?
Brute force attacks
Which hashing algorithm produces fixed-length hash values that increase security with longer hashes?
SHA-512
Where are passwords typically stored for authentication purposes in Linux systems?
/etc/shadow
Which tool is commonly used for password cracking and includes word lists and rainbow tables?
John the Ripper
What kind of attack involves decrypting stolen password databases leisurely?
Offline attacks
Which protocol is used to log into Linux systems remotely and is considered secure?
SSH
What command did the speaker demonstrate to count words and lines in a file containing passwords?
wc -l Rock.txt
Which attack involves using word lists or dictionaries to try common passwords efficiently?
Dictionary attack
In password cracking, what is Hydra used for by providing a list of users and a word list/dictionary?
SSH login attempts with various passwords
What does the acronym SSH stand for in the context of logging into Linux systems remotely?
Secure Shell
Study Notes
- Passwords are sequences of characters used for authentication and protection of accounts and sensitive information.
- Passwords can be a nightmare in cybersecurity due to the challenge of managing multiple accounts and the risk of choosing weak or recycled passwords.
- Passwords work by matching the input password against the stored password in databases during the authentication process.
- Passwords were historically stored as clear text, which poses a significant security risk in case of data breaches or insider threats.
- Encryption is a more secure method of storing passwords, where a key is used to encrypt and decrypt the password for verification.
- Hashing is a one-way mathematical function that converts passwords into unique fixed-length hash values, making it impossible to reverse-engineer the original password from the hash.
- Hashing is a secure way of storing passwords, as even a minor change in the input password results in a completely different hash value.
- Rainbow tables are files containing pre-computed hash values of common passwords used by hackers to crack hashed passwords.
- Salting involves appending a random string to passwords before hashing to enhance security and thwart attacks using pre-computed hash values.
- Complex passwords with a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters are recommended for enhanced security.
- Hacking passwords can involve exploiting system vulnerabilities, stealing passwords through techniques like man-in-the-middle attacks, social engineering, or phishing.
- Brute force attacks involve systematically trying all possible combinations of characters to crack passwords, with the time needed increasing with password complexity.
- Dictionary attacks use word lists or dictionaries to try common passwords, making them more efficient than brute force attacks.
- Password dictionaries are available in tools like Kali Linux for performing dictionary attacks.
- Different hashing algorithms like MD5, SHA-256, and SHA-512 are commonly used for creating hash values from passwords.
- Hashing algorithms like SHA-256 and SHA-512 produce fixed-length hash values, with longer hashes providing increased security.
- Passwords are typically stored in the
/etc/shadowfile in Linux systems for authentication purposes.- The speaker demonstrates a command "wc -l Rock.txt" to count words and lines in a file containing passwords, with 14 million and 344,000 passwords. - Online attacks involve trying multiple passwords to log in, while offline attacks involve decrypting stolen password databases at leisure.
- Tools for password cracking include word lists, rainbow tables (with hashes), John the Ripper, Hydra (online tool), and Python with various libraries.
- SSH (secure shell) is a secure protocol used to log into Linux systems remotely.
- Hydra can be used to crack passwords by providing a list of users and a word list/dictionary to try different passwords.
- The speaker demonstrates using Hydra to crack a password on their Kali Linux system successfully.
- The process involves specifying user.txt for users and rockyou.txt as the word list to attempt SSH login with various passwords until successful.
Explore the world of password security, encryption, hashing, and the techniques used to crack passwords. Learn about strong password practices, common vulnerabilities, and tools like John the Ripper and Hydra. Understand the importance of secure password storage methods to prevent data breaches.
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