What is Brute Force Attack? Definition, How it Works, and Prevention

AreaHacking.com – Brute force is a hacking action that uses the method of continuously trying passwords until the password is found, of course this brute force action is illegal. Brute force is often used by hackers to get an account or break into a website, in fact there are a lot of victims who have been hit by this brute force attack.

Brute force attacks usually use special tools or scripts designed to crack passwords automatically. Hackers usually exploit weaknesses in login systems, such as weak website or account passwords.

How Bruteforce Attacks Work?

Brute force attacks have 3 methods for hacking, namely Normal Mode, Wordlist Mode, and Dictionary Mode. Each method has a slightly different way of working but the goal remains the same in breaking passwords.

This is are 3 brute force methods:

1. Normal Mode

This normal method is usually the method often used by hackers. So, the hacker will let the brute force tool guess the password sequentially until the password is found.

A fatal mistake that users often experience is using a password that is easy to guess, for example "password123" or "12345"

2. Wordlist Mode

This wordlist method is more accurate than normal mode, because the hacker will create a list of passwords that have been prepared. So hackers will do research first about their target and will combine words that might be used.

So the results will be more efficient than before and can save time, in this way hackers usually target one person.

3. Mass Mode

The mass method is a way to hack accounts en masse and get lots of results at the same time, besides that it is also very easy to use. Hackers only need to enter the password they want to use and the program will look for accounts that match that password.

The mass method cannot be underestimated because there have been so many victims affected by this attack, most of them lost quite important accounts.

How to Prevent Brute Force Attacks

After knowing how brute force works, you must also know how to avoid it. Here are tips to avoid brute force:

1. Create a Complex Password

The password is the first thing that must be secured because if you still use a password that is easy to guess like "Name123" or "Name12345" it will be easily hacked. Therefore, change your password to a more difficult combination.

Use strong passwords and complex combinations, combining uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. So that your account or website is safer.

2. Use Two Factor Authentication

Two Factor Authentication (2FA) is a security system that can prevent hackers from breaking into your account, because in this way hackers must have a code that is sent to your email or telephone number to be able to log into the account.

So, it seems impossible for hackers to break into your account, because if there is no code then no one can log in.

3. Using Captcha to Protect the Website

To secure your website from brute force attacks, you can use captcha. The function of captcha is to prevent unnatural login activities. So you can be sure that a computer program or robot will not be able to log in.

Because captcha can only be understood by humans, not robots or tools. So you must use captcha so that your website is safe from brute force.

Conclusion

Brute force attacks are quite dangerous for ordinary people, so from now on you must secure all accounts, including your website. Use complex passwords and additional security so you don't fall victim to a brute force attack.

So, now you understand what brute force is and how to avoid it. This article was created for educational purposes and not to inspire committing crimes.

That's all the information from us, hopefully it's useful and don't forget to share this article, so that other people can also gain knowledge.