Exploring password-based attacks
Threat actors and cyber-criminals commonly use various password-based attacks such as brute force, dictionary-based, phishing, and credential stuffing to exploit security vulnerabilities that are related to users’ passwords that are configured on their online accounts, systems, and files. These vulnerabilities often stem from common human behaviors such as using simple, predictable passwords or reusing passwords across multiple accounts. Additionally, vulnerabilities can arise from system-level issues such as inadequate password policies or lack of account lockout mechanisms. Ethical hackers and penetration testers use password-based attacks to determine whether an organization has configured weak or unsecure passwords on its systems with the goal of helping the organization improve its security posture and resilience against cyber-attacks.
Overall, as a penetration tester, the objectives of performing password-based attacks include:
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