What Is A Brute Force Attack?

In today’s increasingly interconnected and digital world, IT security is at the forefront of mind for many small and large businesses. Businesses stand to gain a lot from using digital networking; communications, marketing, and day-to-day operations all often rely on digital systems. That’s why protecting these systems is both a challenge and a crucial consideration.

One threat that businesses of all sizes consistently face is that of brute force attacks. While phishing attempts can be mitigated through IT security training and careful review of any links or applications to be visited or run, respectively, and DDOS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks may pose a risk of shutting down critical systems, brute force attacks represent a different kind of threat —- one that can necessitate a different approach to risk mitigation and pose serious risks.

Brute force attacks are crucial for IT professionals to understand, as they can threaten the security of password-protected systems, even when passwords are kept safe. Exactly what is a brute force attack? How do they work? What are the risks of a brute force attack, and are there steps that organizations can take to protect themselves? We’ll explain brute force attacks, what they are, the risks they can pose, and how to prevent brute force attacks when possible. Let’s explore.

What is a Brute Force Attack?

To start, let’s explore the meaning behind a brute-force attack. A brute force attack is an attempt to gain entry to a secure password-protected system — by “guessing” the password.

While this may seem far-fetched, here’s where the “brute force” part comes in. Malicious actors may have access to powerful computing systems that can “guess” thousands, even millions of passwords in a row.

These systems are sometimes able to correctly “guess” the password or credentials to gain access to an otherwise secure system through sheer brute computing force or sheer persistence. Brute force cyberattacks can take a long time, but unfortunately, some hackers are very patient.

There are several types of brute force attacks — dictionary attacks, which start with common words; credential stuffing, which involves trying already compromised credentials; password spraying, which tries common passwords; RDP brute force attacks, which attack remote desktop protocol (RDP) systems; SSH brute force attacks, which attack Secure Shell (SSH) systems; and others. While each example of brute force attack may differ in its target or strategy, the desired outcome is often entry to secure systems.

When a brute force attack is successful, bad actors can gain access to secure systems and files, putting the data of the organization and its partners, clients, or customers at risk. This can differ from the risks associated with other attacks, such as DDOS attacks, which stand more to shut down critical systems than to gain entry to those systems.

Still, this can be important to note, as DDOS and other attacks can be employed at the same time as a sort of “smokescreen” for hackers to attempt a brute force attack in the confusion as IT teams are scrambling to get systems operational again.

Mitigating Risks – Strategies For Strength

We’ve explored the risks of brute force attacks and the landscape in which this threat exists — but what can organizations do about it? Are there ways to mitigate the risks of brute-force attacks? Fortunately, there are. The best protection against brute force attacks often involves a multifaceted approach that includes more than one of these strategies. While no system is infallible or foolproof, there are several steps that organizations can take toward mitigating the risks of brute force attacks. Let’s explore a few strategies:

Using Strong Password Policies

While system administrators can’t always tell users what password to use, systems can be configured to only accept strong passwords. The more complex passwords are, the harder it is for computing systems to guess them through a brute-force algorithm. Additionally, system administrators can require that passwords be changed regularly and that passwords are not commonly used ones.

As such, enforcing strong password policies (such as those which require that a user include different kinds of characters in their password and mandate a minimum password length) is one way organizations can mitigate the risks of a brute force attack.

Using Multi-Factor Authentication

Many of us are familiar with multi-factor authentication, even if we don’t realize it. Have you ever received an email or text message code to gain access to your login for which you correctly entered the password? This is multifactor authentication.

The goal is to ensure that you’re who you say you are — even if you have the right password. These failsafe systems can be automated to always run unless you opt out, be triggered by suspicious activity such as an unusual IP address, or leave it up to users to use or not use. However, the safest multi-factor systems are mandatory for users.

CAPTCHAs

Another mitigation strategy you’re likely familiar with is CAPTCHA challenges. These are small challenges designed to be easy for humans to accomplish but difficult or impossible for automated programs or bots to complete. You may be asked to identify strangely formatted words, choose which picture has a certain element in it, or complete a small puzzle. The addition of CAPTCHAs can make it far more challenging for brute-force attacks to occur. While CAPTCHAs can be irritating to users, they provide an important layer of security, and recent advances in software and tech have enabled organizations to make CAPTCHAs easier to complete for humans.

Incident Response Planning

Finally, organizations can position themselves to quickly deal with breaches and other attacks through a well-founded incident response plan. Incident response planning aims to outline standard procedures following a data breach or other IT attack.

Remember how we mentioned that cyberattacks can occur simultaneously? If an organization is attacked with both a DDOS attack and a brute force attack, having a response plan in place can mitigate the risks of falling prey to more attacks in a cascade.

In addition to outlining key personnel and standard procedures in an incident response plan, this can also involve proactive practices, such as employing intrusion detection systems, firewalls, and regular system scans.

The Bottom Line

Businesses and organizations today face a range of IT security threats. Among these, brute-force attacks can be some of the most devastating and can lead to major data breaches. As such, IT teams and organizations must be aware of the risks of brute-force attacks and take action to mitigate them.

Fortunately, there are several steps that organizations can take to this end. This can include employing fail-safes such as multi-factor authentication, utilizing CAPTCHA challenges to deter bots, and mandating strong password policies on secure systems. Furthermore, organizations should have an incident response plan outlined to take proactive steps to safeguard their systems and ensure readiness to address threats as they emerge.

At BeforeCrypt, we’re dedicated to helping our customers actively address security threats. Reach out today to learn more about our expert ransomware recovery services!