People are beginning to recognize how useful AI may be in their daily lives with the introduction of technologies like Bing Chat and Bard. There is a dark side to technology to be aware of, though, as with other things utilized with malicious intent. Password cracking is one such instance of possible AI abuse. A recent study demonstrates the scary speed at which modern AI can deduce your password.
Home Security Heroes, a cybersecurity company, has released a study on AI and password cracking. The researchers specifically investigated PassGAN, a new AI-powered password-cracking tool. (password generative adversarial network).
In the study, a collection of more than 15 million passwords was combed through using PassGAN by the researchers. In accordance with the findings, 51% of typical passwords can be broken in under a minute, 65% in under an hour, 71% in under a day, and 81% in under a month.
Additionally, the group presented a table with the findings of its research. Almost all passwords with six characters or less were immediately broken, as shown in the graphic below. The organization states that passwords longer than 18 characters are considered secure against PassGAN and other similar technologies. The data indicates that it would take the tool at least ten months to decipher an 18-character password made entirely of numbers.
The company advises using passwords with at least 15 characters if you wish to protect your accounts against tools like these. Additionally, those passwords must contain a minimum of two characters, digits, and symbols. It’s also crucial to stay away from patterns like “1234.” Finally, avoid using the same password on many accounts and change your passwords frequently.
Sticking to strong passwords can help keep your data secure, even though it might be a headache. Additionally, you can use a password manager if you’re concerned that you’ll forget your password.
