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A brute-force attack is a trial-and-error method used to decode encrypted data such as passwords or PINs by systematically trying every possible combination until the correct one is found. This method is resource-intensive and time-consuming, but it is guaranteed to eventually succeed if given enough time and computational power.
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Concept
Cryptography is the science of securing communication and information through the use of mathematical techniques, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, authenticity, and non-repudiation. It plays a crucial role in various applications such as secure communications, digital signatures, and cryptocurrency, protecting data from unauthorized access and tampering.
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Password cracking involves exploiting weaknesses in password storage or using various techniques to guess or retrieve passwords, often to gain unauthorized access to systems. It highlights the importance of strong, unique passwords and robust security measures to protect sensitive information.
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Computational complexity is a branch of computer science that studies the resources required for algorithms to solve problems, focusing on time and space as primary metrics. It categorizes problems based on their inherent difficulty and the efficiency of the best possible algorithms that solve them, providing a framework for understanding what can be computed feasibly.
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Hash functions are algorithms that take an input and produce a fixed-size string of bytes, typically a hash code, which appears random. They are crucial in computer science for ensuring data integrity, enabling efficient data retrieval, and securing information through cryptographic applications.
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Encryption is the process of converting information or data into a code to prevent unauthorized access, ensuring confidentiality and data integrity. It is a fundamental technology in cybersecurity, used in various applications such as securing communications, protecting sensitive data, and verifying identities.
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A dictionary attack is a method used to breach a password-protected system by systematically entering every word in a predefined list, often derived from a dictionary or common password database. This attack exploits the tendency of users to choose simple, common passwords, making it a significant threat to cybersecurity if not mitigated by strong password policies and additional security measures.
Concept
A rainbow table is a precomputed table used to reverse cryptographic hash functions, particularly for cracking password hashes by matching them against known hash values. It optimizes the process by using a time-memory tradeoff, significantly reducing the time needed to crack hashes compared to brute-force methods, but requiring substantial storage space.
Concept
Key space refers to the total number of possible keys in a cryptographic algorithm, determining the strength and security of the encryption. A larger Key space increases the difficulty for an attacker to perform a brute-force attack, thus enhancing the system's resistance to unauthorized access.
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Rate limiting is a technique used to control the amount of incoming and outgoing traffic to or from a network, API, or service, ensuring stability and preventing abuse or overuse. It is crucial for maintaining service quality, preventing denial of service attacks, and managing resource allocation effectively.
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Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security process in which users provide two different authentication factors to verify their identity, enhancing protection against unauthorized access. By combining something the user knows (like a password) with something the user has (such as a mobile device), 2FA significantly reduces the risk of compromised accounts from phishing or other cyber attacks.
Concept
Argon2 is a cryptographic hashing algorithm designed to provide secure password hashing by being resistant to brute-force and side-channel attacks. It is the winner of the Password Hashing Competition and offers three variants: Argon2d, Argon2i, and Argon2id, each with different focuses on resistance to GPU cracking and side-channel attacks.
Concept
Argon2 is a memory-hard password hashing algorithm that was the winner of the Password Hashing Competition in 2015, designed to resist both brute-force attacks and side-channel attacks. It offers three variants—Argon2d, Argon2i, and Argon2id—each optimized for different security needs, such as resistance to GPU cracking or side-channel attacks.
Concept
Password strength is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting guessing and brute-force attacks, typically determined by its length, complexity, and unpredictability. Strong passwords are crucial for protecting personal and sensitive information from unauthorized access and cyber threats.
Concept
GPU cracking leverages the parallel processing power of graphics processing units to accelerate the decryption of passwords and cryptographic keys, making it significantly faster than traditional CPU-based methods. This approach is particularly effective for brute-force attacks, where numerous combinations are tested simultaneously to find the correct one.
A Password-Based Key Derivation Function (PBKDF) is an algorithm used to derive cryptographic keys from a password, enhancing security by adding computational complexity and making brute-force attacks more difficult. It typically involves salting and iterating a hash function multiple times to produce a strong key suitable for encryption or authentication purposes.
Concept
The Password Hashing Competition (PHC) was an initiative launched in 2013 to identify and select a new, robust password hashing scheme to improve security standards. The competition concluded in 2015 with the selection of Argon2 as the winner, which is now widely recommended for its resistance to brute-force and side-channel attacks.
Concept
Iterative Hashing is a cryptographic technique that involves repeatedly applying a hash function to an input to enhance security or achieve a specific cryptographic property. This method is often used in password hashing and blockchain technology to increase resistance against brute-force attacks and ensure data integrity.
Password-Based Key Derivation is a cryptographic technique used to transform a password into a cryptographic key, enhancing security by making the key difficult to guess or derive. This process often involves the use of a salt and multiple iterations to thwart brute-force attacks and ensure that even weak passwords can be strengthened for secure encryption.
Concept
PBKDF2 (Password-Based Key Derivation Function 2) is a cryptographic algorithm used to derive a secure encryption key from a password by applying a pseudorandom function, such as HMAC, multiple times. It enhances security by using a salt and iterating the hash function multiple times to make brute-force attacks computationally expensive.
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Key stretching is a cryptographic technique used to enhance the security of weak keys by increasing the computational effort required to crack them. It involves repeatedly hashing or encrypting the key to produce a longer, more complex key, thereby making brute-force attacks more difficult and time-consuming.
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GPU resistance refers to the ability of certain cryptographic algorithms to remain secure and efficient even when executed on Graphics Processing Units, which are optimized for parallel processing. This resistance is crucial in preventing adversaries from leveraging the massive parallelism of GPUs to accelerate brute-force attacks or other cryptanalysis methods.
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Time-memory trade-off is a computational strategy where increased memory usage is leveraged to reduce the time required to solve a problem, or vice versa. This approach is often used in cryptography and algorithm optimization to balance resource constraints effectively.
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Memory-hard functions are cryptographic primitives designed to require a significant amount of memory to compute, making them resistant to attacks using specialized hardware like ASICs and GPUs. They are particularly useful in applications like password hashing and proof-of-work systems, where they help to ensure that the cost of brute-force attacks remains prohibitively high.
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Memory hardness refers to the requirement that computational problems or algorithms consume a significant amount of memory resources, making them resistant to attacks that leverage parallel processing or specialized hardware like ASICs. This property is crucial in cryptographic applications, such as password hashing, to ensure that brute-force attacks are computationally expensive and impractical.
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