Published at LXer:

A brute force attack is based on the premise that a computer, or a botnet (which is a group of hijacked computers acting as one), can continue to attempt to guess at usernames and passwords in rapid succession, using such speed that eventually they’ll get in. This is especially true if the password is merely a word from the dictionary, no matter how obscure the word is. Security experts have demonstrated over and over again how quickly such a password can be cracked by using a brute force attack, which is why a “gibberish” password utilizing upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols is recommended. Not so long ago, a password of eight characters was deemed sufficient length. Nowadays it’s recommended that your password be ten or more characters long.

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