The possibility of having a confidential account password discovered or cracked has long been a concern in the digital age, and it has become even more so with the increasing popularity of artificial intelligence (AI)which can be a strong ally of cybercriminals who may want to gain access to your credentials.
Knowing the full potential of AI when it comes to cybersecurity, the Home Security Heroes published a study showing how they can be efficient in cracking passwords using a technology known as PassGANwhich autonomously learns how real passwords are distributed from data leaks.
By eliminating the need for manual password analysis, the technology is a serious threat to cybersecurity and makes it easier for criminals to crack passwords and gain access to personal data. At the same time, its good use can help to understand the properties of passwords that are more likely to be “cracked”.
The study shows that passwords of up to 11 characters and that only have numbers can be cracked instantly. Even those with 18 digits are much more likely to be breached, with an average time of just 10 months for them to be deciphered by AI.
The traditional 8-digit combination of numbers and uppercase and lowercase letters — which is the minimum requirement for creating passwords on many websites — can be guessed in regarding 48 minutes. This time rises to 7 hours when symbols are added. An 18-digit password with all these characteristics would only be able to be guessed by AI in regarding 6 quadrillion years.
In summary, 51% of the most common passwords can be cracked in less than a minute, 65% in less than an hour, 71% in less than a day, and 81% in less than a month — which should make you worried if security of your passwords is a sensitive issue for you.
The Home Security Heroes page even has a simulator that allows you to find out how long a given password would be guessed by the AI. Out of curiosity, I entered a password similar in structure to the one I use as a master password for 1Password, and the site estimated that it would take an AI regarding 2 million years to guess it.
The site also gives some practical tips to reduce the chances of you having a cracked password, such as using at least 15 characters, including at least two letters (upper and lower case), numbers and symbols. You should also constantly change sensitive passwords and, obviously, avoid using the same password for multiple accounts.
via 9to5Mac