What is a dictionary attack?

and The attack vocabulary is an attempt to literally use every word in the dictionary as a means to identify a password associated with an encrypted message or to obtain a trading network control or even an e -mail account. The idea is that by running this kind of hacking strategy, a hacker can get control of these sources and use them for any purpose he wants. Although this approach can be very effective when one word is used to secure an account, the method is much less likely to succeed if the account owner uses a somewhat complicated phrase as a security for the account.

The basic purpose of the dictionary attack is to get involved in what is called the password cracking . For example, the attack can be launched to insulate a password associated with a specific e -mail account. Once this is achieved, the hacker can access the directory associated with this account and replicate the process with these addresses. Your result of this e -mail harvest can be to createLists that are sold to traders, or possibly use these e -mail accounts to create spam campaigns or spread viruses through seemingly harmless attachments that seem to be from a trusted source.

To increase the potential for success, hackers will try as many words as possible when planning an attack of the dictionary. This means that along with a traditional dictionary, words found in different types of technical or industrial dictionaries and glossaries are added to the database in experiment. In addition, dictionaries for different languages ​​are also added to the source, which is used to increase the chances of assigning a password with an e -mail account or message.

The second process associated with a dictionary attack involves the use of software to block the content of the Dictionary as a means to lock what would seem to be random collections of letters. In some cases, hacker may also include numbers and different types of InterPunting to this random mixture, which will be possible to identify more complicated passwords.

The

alternative form of dictionary attack does not focus on identifying passwords as a means to get access to e -mail accounts or networks. Instead, the hacker uses software to generate potential e -mail addresses, and then uses these addresses in some type of spam campaign. The idea is that while some of the generated addresses may not exist, others will be active and able to receive a spam message. This strategy can be used as a marketing trick or used as a way of spreading viruses by attaching to spam e -mail.