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Question 335

Gill is a computer forensics investigator who has been called upon to examine a seized computer. This computer, according to the police, was used by a hacker who gained access to numerous banking institutions to steal customer information. After preliminary investigations, Gill finds in the computer's log files that the hacker was able to gain access to these banks through the use of Trojan horses. The hacker then used these Trojan horses to obtain remote access to the companies' domain controllers. From this point, Gill found that the hacker pulled off the SAM files from the domain controllers to then attempt and crack network passwords. What is the most likely password cracking technique used by this hacker to break the user passwords from the SAM files?

    Correct Answer: D

    The most likely password cracking technique used by the hacker to break user passwords from the SAM files is a dictionary attack. In this method, a list of commonly used passwords is used to guess the password. Since SAM files typically store password hashes, attackers utilize a dictionary of precomputed hashes for common passwords to find matches. This approach is practical and efficient when compared to other methods like brute force attacks, which are very time-consuming and computationally intensive.

Discussion
gooftroopOption: C

C. Brute force attack

aqeel1506Option: D

D. Dictionary attack Explanation: Dictionary Attack: This method involves using a list of commonly used passwords (the "dictionary") to guess passwords. Since SAM files typically store password hashes, attackers use dictionary attacks to attempt to match these hashes with precomputed hashes of commonly used passwords.

aqeel1506Option: D

The other techniques mentioned: Syllable Attack: This is a less common term and typically refers to attacking passwords based on phonetic syllables, which isn't the primary method for cracking passwords stored in SAM files. Hybrid Attack: This is a combination of dictionary and brute force methods, where a dictionary attack is combined with common variations, such as adding numbers or symbols. While effective, it's more complex than a simple dictionary attack. Brute Force Attack: This method tries all possible combinations of characters until the correct one is found. It is very time-consuming and computationally intensive, especially for complex passwords, and is less likely to be the first choice compared to a dictionary attack. In the context of password cracking from SAM files, where common passwords and patterns are often used, a dictionary attack is a practical and commonly used technique.

ElbOption: D

Because a dictionary attack can be done quickly, many organizations require users to create passwords that have a special character, number, capital letter, and be eight characters or greater...

ElbOption: D

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/dictionary-attack Figure 6.3

topbarryOption: C

The most likely password cracking technique used by this hacker to break the user passwords from the SAM files is C. Brute force attack.