Brute force attacks automate password guessing at scale using tools like Hydra, Hashcat, and Burp Suite. The guide covers key variants including dictionary attacks, hybrid attacks, password spraying, and credential stuffing, explaining why each evades different defenses. Real-world examples include a GRU-attributed global campaign run through Kubernetes and the T-Mobile breach exposing 54.6 million customers. A practical defender's checklist covers rate limiting, MFA (which blocks 99.9%+ of automated compromise per Microsoft data), password length over complexity, cross-account monitoring, and attack surface reduction. Two common myths are debunked: that complexity alone is sufficient, and that account lockouts fully stop spraying attacks.
Table of contents
Why does such a simple technique still work?Online versus offline: why speed changes everythingThe variants worth knowing by nameWhat it looks like when it actually happensA practical checklist for defendersTwo myths that make brute force attacks worseFrequently asked questions73 Impressions