Written by Aranza Trevino
Edited by Anne Cutler
Reviewed by Darren Guccione
Password attacks are one of the most common types of cyberattacks. They occur when someone tries to access your accounts by guessing or stealing your login credentials. You can prevent password attacks by enabling multi-factor authentication and using strong, unique passwords for your accounts. Read on to learn how you can keep yourself protected from these types of attacks.
Password attacks involve gaining access to an account by successfully guessing or trying to guess the password on an account by an unauthorized user. In most cases, cybercriminals use automated programs to try thousands of possible password combinations until they find one that works.
These types of attacks are very common because people tend to choose easy-to-guess passwords for their accounts and many users use the same password across multiple accounts, which makes them more vulnerable to password attacks.
There are many different types of password attacks. Here are a few of the most common ones.
Dictionary attacks exploit common words or phrases found in dictionaries to compromise user credentials. In order to prevent your password from being cracked by a dictionary attack, it is best to use random letters, numbers and symbols that don’t form a real word.
Brute force attacks use trial and error techniques to guess login credentials, security keys or other sensitive data. Password reuse has become a common password practice and it only takes one exposed password to make an entire system or collection of credentials vulnerable to a breach.
Keyloggers are malicious software or malware that enters a device through an access point. Infected software, emails, files or cloud-based programs can all serve as entry points for a keylogger. When a keylogger enters a user’s device it records each keystroke to gather sensitive information such as login credentials. Keyloggers are extremely dangerous since they are hard to detect. They can easily detect password reuse, exposing the login credentials to numerous accounts.
Password spraying, also known as a password spray attack, is when a cybercriminal tries to access multiple accounts on a single domain using common passwords. An attacker may be able to gain access to hundreds of accounts with just one attempt if they use a list of popular weak passwords such as 123456 or 111111.
Credential stuffing is a type of cyberattack where cybercriminals gather and reuse already compromised account details to gain access to new accounts or services online. According to Keeper’s US Password Practices Report, 56% of respondents admitted to using the same password for multiple accounts. Password reuse has become a common password practice and is what makes password attacks like credential stuffing successful in their attempts to gain access to multiple accounts.
These are some of the most common password attacks – demonstrating a growing need for better password management and password hygiene.
Understanding common password attacks and threats is the first step toward preventing them. Here are a few other tips for preventing common attacks on your passwords.
Password reuse has become one of the most common practices and it’s doing more harm than good. Many people tend to reuse the same passwords across multiple accounts because it’s easier or quicker to remember than creating new ones. However, reusing passwords is a huge security risk because it leaves all your accounts vulnerable to a single breach and makes it easier for cybercriminals to access multiple accounts of a single user by just accessing one account.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) increases the security of your accounts and protects against the most common cyberattacks by authenticating a user before they’re able to log in. When MFA is implemented, the user must provide multiple verification factors such as providing a one-time code, answering a security question or using biometric authentication.
Strong and unique passwords are the best defense against password attacks because they make it harder for cybercriminals to be able to guess your passwords. Creating passwords that are difficult for cybercriminals to guess doesn’t have to be complicated, not to mention it’d be next to impossible to create passwords that are strong and unique but also easy for you to remember.
This is where a password manager like Keeper makes your life easier and more secure. Keeper’s password manager stores all your passwords and sensitive data in a cloud-based digital vault that can only be accessed with the master password – the only password you have to remember. Storing your passwords in a password manager makes it easier to track, protect, share and manage your passwords all in one place, plus Keeper’s password manager will also generate passwords for your accounts that are strong and unique so you don’t have to.
Being aware of what’s happening on your accounts is also vital in keeping your accounts safe from password attacks. Whether it be keeping an eye out for attempted login attempts or noticing something on your account that you didn’t do – the more aware you are, the faster you can act to keep your account safe.
Unfortunately, attacks on your passwords are not going away anytime soon, which is why it’s important to invest in a tool that’s going to help you keep your credentials secure. Keeper Password Manager is one of the easiest tools you can implement into your everyday life and it does all the hard work of remembering your passwords so you don’t have to.
Keep yourself safe from password attacks – try Keeper’s Password Manager for free today.
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