In our constantly growing digital world, passwords have become a necessary part of daily life. Almost everything, including email, applications, subscriptions, and loyalty programs, requires a self-selected password for secure access. With the average person having approximately 100 passwords, it’s not unusual for individuals to take shortcuts when creating new accounts. Nonetheless, a new threat to password security has emerged: Artificial Intelligence (AI). This poses a significant risk to the vulnerability of passwords.
A new report by Home Security Heroes has shown the potential of the latest generative AI in cracking passwords. The AI-based password-guessing tool called PassGAN (password generative adversarial network) was able to crack 51% of common passwords in less than a minute, decipher 65% of passwords in less than an hour, 71% in less than a day, and 81% in under a month.
Source: Google
Home Security Heroes used PassGAN, an AI-based password cracker, to go through a list of 15,680,000 passwords. The probability of PassGAN cracking a password is higher when it has fewer characters and lacks variety, such as using only lowercase letters or numbers. Despite this, PassGAN was able to crack a password with seven characters, including symbols, in less than six minutes.
Some tips to set a Password that is safe from AI to crack password:
Strong Passwords
- The first and most important thing to do to secure your account is to use strong passwords. For a password to be considered strong, it must have a minimum length of 12 characters with a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
Two-Factor Authentication
Source: Google
- Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an additional layer of security that requires users to provide two forms of identification before being granted access to their accounts. It can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Personal Information
- Don’t use personal information, such as your name, date of birth, or address, as your password. This information can be easily obtained by hackers, making it easier for them to crack your password.
Password Managers
Source: Google
- Password managers are software applications that can generate and store strong passwords for you. They can also automatically fill in login credentials, thus making it more convenient and easier to use strong passwords.
Regularly Update Your Password
- It is important to regularly update your password and avoid using the same password for multiple accounts. This will help to prevent hackers from gaining access to multiple accounts if they manage to crack one password.
Phishing Scams
- Phishing scams are a common method used by hackers to get login credentials. Be cautious of emails or messages that ask for your login credentials, and always verify the authenticity of the source before providing any information.
As the use of AI-powered tools continues to increase, it is crucial to implement precautions against the risk of AI successfully cracking your password.