{"id":680,"date":"2021-03-25T08:11:22","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T08:11:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/blog\/?p=680"},"modified":"2025-08-15T09:59:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T09:59:51","slug":"what-is-a-dictionary-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/what-is-a-dictionary-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Dictionary Attack?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A password remains the most common way of locking an account. It is better than biometric verification because the secret lies in your mind, which is not easy to get a hold of compared to something like a fingerprint. But despite the password\u2019s role in preventing authorized access, weak passwords continue to be a leading reason behind cyberattacks.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/enterprise.verizon.com\/resources\/reports\/dbir\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report<\/a> (DBIR) in 2020 revealed that about 80% of breaches were due to weak credentials. Security experts have long stressed the importance of a strong password to prevent attacks like the Dictionary Attack.<\/p>\n<p>If you are not familiar with Dictionary Attack, follow us as we explain. The dangers of using a weak password and reusing the same password on different accounts will become apparent to you.<br \/>\n        <div class=\"iprovpn_btn_cta_row\">\n    \t<a class=\"btn_cta\" href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/buy-vpn\" title=\"Get iProVPN Now\">Get iProVPN NOW <i class=\"fas fa-long-arrow-alt-right\"><\/i><\/a>\n    \t<\/div>\n    <\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_75 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-flat ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/div>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/what-is-a-dictionary-attack\/#What_is_a_Dictionary_Attack\" >What is a Dictionary Attack?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/what-is-a-dictionary-attack\/#Dictionary_Attack_vs_Brute_Force_Attack\" >Dictionary Attack vs. Brute Force Attack<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/what-is-a-dictionary-attack\/#How_to_Protect_Against_Dictionary_Attack\" >How to Protect Against Dictionary Attack<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/what-is-a-dictionary-attack\/#Use_Passphrases\" >Use Passphrases<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/what-is-a-dictionary-attack\/#Include_Combinations\" >Include Combinations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/what-is-a-dictionary-attack\/#Enable_Two-Factor_Authentication\" >Enable Two-Factor Authentication<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/what-is-a-dictionary-attack\/#Dont_Reuse_Passwords\" >Don\u2019t Reuse Passwords<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/what-is-a-dictionary-attack\/#Use_Password_Managers\" >Use Password Managers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/what-is-a-dictionary-attack\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/what-is-a-dictionary-attack\/#Start_Browsing_Privately\" >Start Browsing Privately!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_Dictionary_Attack\"><\/span>What is a Dictionary Attack?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Most people find it difficult to keep up with the little mental exercise that comes with memorizing passwords for multiple accounts. Surely, it has only accentuated as the internet has witnessed a growth in the number of social platforms. Social platforms aside, online banking is the de facto way of accessing personal finances, and it\u2019s troubling that users choose a weak password or reuse a password on bank accounts.<\/p>\n<p>It may come as a surprise, but passwords such as \u201c123456\u201d and \u201cPassword\u201d are more common than you might think. A Dictionary Attack takes advantage of such vulnerabilities to hack into accounts. It compiles a list of words in the dictionary, including common names like country names, football player names, celebrity names, or anything associated with pop culture that a user is likely to be influenced by.<\/p>\n<p>A football fan is likely to keep the name of his favorite club or player as a password. An employee of an organization is likely to keep the name of the organization or terms associated with it as a password. By closely observing the likes of a target, a hacker can use a set of likely passwords and run every attempt to access an account.<\/p>\n<p>Some users replace certain words with familiar-looking counterparts, such as replacing the alphabet \u201ca\u201d with \u201c@\u201d or writing numbers in words. But such permutations are still easily conceivable by the computer. Hence, using \u201cP@sswordOneTwoThree\u201d is just as easy as writing \u201cPassword123\u201d.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dictionary_Attack_vs_Brute_Force_Attack\"><\/span>Dictionary Attack vs. Brute Force Attack<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A brute-force attack is centered on trying to find a password by exhausting every possible combination. The program only succeeds when it has found the right combination. The attack is common for cracking passwords to gain access to accounts or servers. When you hear the word \u201chacked\u201d in a cyberattack, it is often a brute-force attack that is made possible by a weak password that poses less challenge to the attacking program.<\/p>\n<p>In comparison, a dictionary attack involves a limited number of runs based on how many words the password set contains. The Oxford dictionary has about <strong>171,476<\/strong> words in it. A brute-force attack involves as much trial-and-error as presented by the length of the password. A password with a six-digit length can be cracked within seconds. Moving to a ten-digit and a twelve-digit password raises the required time to decades. As a very basic example, \u201cabc\u201d has about six combinations: abc, bca, cab, cba, acb, and bac.<\/p>\n<p>Involving a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters increases the complexity of cracking the password by several hundred years, even with modern computing capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>A dictionary attack is much less computationally intensive because it only has to run through a set number of words. A brute-force attack does not start with such a set to match against the user\u2019s password; it will continue inputting all possible combinations until it finds a match. This approach requires much more computing capability. The time required to brute-force into an account is directly proportional to the computing prowess of the CPU.<\/p>\n<p>It is worth mentioning that brute force is also used to break cryptographic encryption. An AES 256-bit encryption presents 1.1579208923731619542357098500869e+77 possible combinations to the key. With modern computing power, it would take billions of years to crack it. iProVPN uses the same encryption standard to secure internet communication.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Protect_Against_Dictionary_Attack\"><\/span>How to Protect Against Dictionary Attack<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Use_Passphrases\"><\/span>Use Passphrases<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Instead of passwords, use passphrases. A passphrase is harder to predict and unique to you. It sits outside common names and terms because it mixes randomness, to which only you have the context. The FBI <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fbi.gov\/contact-us\/field-offices\/portland\/news\/press-releases\/oregon-fbi-tech-tuesday-building-a-digital-defense-with-passwords\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">recommends<\/a> using passphrases over passwords. For example, if you are preparing for exams such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.actualtests.com\/exam-AZ-140.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Microsoft AZ-140 Practice Test Dumps<\/a>, consider creating a passphrase that blends random elements while being meaningful to you.<\/p>\n<p>Think of a string of characters that are readable to you but make no sense. For example, \u201cEarthTwinCompileUs\u201d is a readable string of words but has no logic.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Include_Combinations\"><\/span>Include Combinations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can make a password strong by including uppercase and lowercase letters and special characters in it. As we explained, substituting \u201cPassword\u201d with \u201cP@ssword\u201d is unwise and yields no effect. Choose a random string like \u201csfFg%354~!$%c\u201d for the best strength. You can choose a passphrase and substitute some characters so that it\u2019s still readable but more random. For example, \u201cE@rthTw!nCompileU$\u201d.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Enable_Two-Factor_Authentication\"><\/span>Enable Two-Factor Authentication<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Two-factor authentication (2FA) serves as a second stage for authenticating your identity as the account&#8217;s rightful owner. It involves using something you naturally possess, like a biometric, or something that you own, like a device. Because these two types of things are always close to you, they are useful for serving as an authentication method.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dont_Reuse_Passwords\"><\/span>Don\u2019t Reuse Passwords<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Reusing the same password for multiple accounts is setting you up for the risk of Credential Stuffing. <a href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/posts\/victim-of-a-data-breach\/\">Data breaches<\/a> are a persistent threat in the cyber world. Data such as user credentials stolen during a data breach can also go on sale on the Dark Web. With access to one account&#8217;s information, an attacker will try to input the same credentials on other websites in the hopes that it will land somewhere.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Use_Password_Managers\"><\/span>Use Password Managers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s only natural to be bewildered by long and complex passwords. A password manager will save you the trouble of memorizing multiple usernames and passwords. It will store that information in a secure vault that is accessible only by you and where it is held encrypted at rest. The auto-fill feature provided by password managers saves you the trouble of navigating to the vault.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The one weak link in cybersecurity is often human. Defense against cyber threats can only go as far as the user who is willing to follow certain practices. A strong password can foil attempts to break into your account. As a rule of thumb, always use 2FA on every account.<br \/>\n    \t<hr class=\"mt-5\">\n        <div class=\"custom_CTA mt-5\">\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                <div class=\"col-lg-7 align-self-center text-lg-left text-center\">\n                    <h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Start_Browsing_Privately\"><\/span>Start Browsing Privately!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n                    <p clas=\"mb-0\">iProVPN encrypts your data for protection against hackers and surveillance. Unblock your favorite streaming platforms instantly with the best VPN for streaming.<\/p>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-lg-5 align-self-center text-center\">\n                    <a class=\"custom_btn_cta\" href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/buy-vpn\" title=\"Get iProVPN Now\">Get iProVPN NOW<\/a>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n    \t<\/div>\n    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A password remains the most common way of locking an account. It is better than biometric verification because the secret lies in your mind, which is not easy to get a hold of compared to something like a fingerprint. But despite the password\u2019s role in preventing authorized access, weak passwords continue to be a leading [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12053,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-privacy-security"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is a Dictionary Attack?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you are not familiar with Dictionary Attack, follow us as we explain. The dangers of using a weak password and reusing passwords will become apparent to you.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/what-is-a-dictionary-attack\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is a Dictionary Attack?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you are not familiar with Dictionary Attack, follow us as we explain. The dangers of using a weak password and reusing passwords will become apparent to you.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/what-is-a-dictionary-attack\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"iProVPN Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-25T08:11:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-15T09:59:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/iprovpn.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Dictionary-attack-f.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jack Smith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"What is a Dictionary Attack?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"If you are not familiar with Dictionary Attack, follow us as we explain. 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