What Is A Brute-Force Attack?
Search Security, Monday, April 21st, 2025
A brute-force attack is a trial-and-error hacking method cybercriminals use to decode login information and encryption keys to gain unauthorized access to systems. Brute force is an exhaustive effort rather than one that uses intellectual strategies.
Just as a criminal might crack a safe by trying many possible combinations, a brute-force attack tries all possible combinations of characters -- including letters, numbers and symbols -- in a sequence to breach passwords, login credentials or encryption keys.
Cybercriminals typically use brute-force attacks to obtain access to unauthorized systems, websites, user accounts or networks. They might install malware or shut down web applications, potentially causing data breaches.
A simple brute-force attack commonly uses automated tools to guess all possible passwords until the correct input is identified. This is an old but still effective attack method for cracking common passwords.