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Brute‑Force Attack

Threats

Trying many passwords until one works.

Definition

A brute‑force attack is when someone tries lots of password guesses (or keys) to break into an account or decrypt something.

In plain English Trying many passwords until one works.

Why this matters

Why it matters: Weak or short passwords can be guessed faster, especially if attackers can try many times.

Example

Example: Automated tools guessing common passwords like “123456” or “password”.