(This blog text was generated by ChatGPT.)
Following up from last week’s blog post, let’s take a look at a hypothetical scenario involving a hacker’s attempt to crack both a password and a passphrase to truly grasp the significant difference in security between passwords and passphrases. For the sake of illustration, we’ll assume that the hacker has access to a powerful computer capable of trying a staggering number of combinations per second.
Cracking a Password:
Imagine a scenario where a user has a password composed of 8 characters, a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. For the sake of simplicity, let’s say the password is “P@ssw0rd.” Despite its apparent complexity, an advanced cracking tool can attempt around 100 billion password combinations per second.
Now, let’s calculate how long it would take this hypothetical cracking tool to break the password “P@ssw0rd”:
At a rate of 100 billion combinations per second, the time it would take to crack the password can be calculated as follows:
Time = Total Possible Combinations / Attempts Per Second Time = 6.1 quadrillion / 100 billion seconds ≈ 61,000 seconds ≈ 16.9 hours
Cracking a Passphrase:
Now, let’s consider a passphrase that consists of a sequence of five common words, such as “BlueSkyOverMoun7ains!” This passphrase has 5 words, each chosen from a list of around 2000 common English words. We’ll assume the same cracking tool, capable of 100 billion attempts per second.
Using the same calculation, we can determine how long it would take to crack the passphrase:
Time = Total Possible Combinations / Attempts Per Second Time = 32 trillion / 100 billion seconds ≈ 320,000 seconds ≈ 3.7 days
Comparing the Results:
In this simplified example, we can clearly see the stark difference in security between the password and the passphrase. While the password took just around 16.9 hours to crack, the passphrase with its significantly higher entropy took approximately 3.7 days. This example underscores the power of passphrases in providing enhanced security against brute-force attacks.
Conclusion:
In the ongoing battle to secure our digital identities, the use of passphrases emerges as a clear winner over traditional passwords. The example above vividly illustrates the time disparity between cracking a password and cracking a passphrase. By embracing the concept of passphrases, users can significantly bolster their online security and thwart even the most determined cyber attackers. Remember, the length, complexity, and personalization of passphrases make them a formidable defense against modern hacking techniques.