Artificial Intelligences are here to stay. This new technology is increasingly present among us, both within the industry and in our daily lives, for example, with the arrival of chatbots. However, and as expected, these AIs have also posed new challenges for the security of users. Especially if we talk, for example, about the security of passwords.
We always insist on the importance of using strong passwords. Hackers are increasingly using more aggressive techniques to break the security of user passwords (either by hacking a hash, or guessing it by brute force), thus putting all user security at risk. The process is not simple, and it is not fast or efficient either. However, with the advent of AIs, this has changed.
PassGAN can crack your passwords
PassGAN is a new AI that has highlighted the security of our passwords. Although it is true that there are tools capable of breaking the security of these keys, it has not been until the arrival of AI when, finally, it has gained enough power to be able to crack complex passwords in seconds.
According to the tests that have been carried out on this AI, keys of 4, 5 and up to 6 characters can be broken instantly. A 7-character password, with no symbols, can be hacked in less than a minute. And, if we make it more complex with symbols, in less than 5 minutes we would have it broken.
An already more secure password, between 8 and 9 characters, can be hacked in a few hours, or a couple of weeks, depending on whether we include symbols in it or not. Thus, we consider a strong password from 10 characters, as long as it uses characters, since that is when we start talking about months, or years, to hack it.
If you want to check the security of your password, according to the data of this AI, you can do so at this link. In addition, we can find curious data, such as that 51% of the passwords we use can be hacked in less than a minute, 65% in less than an hour, 71% in less than a day, and 81% of them in less than a month. Worrying data that should make us rethink what we are doing with our security.
How to choose a strong password
The practices for using a strong password are the same as always. That is, we must choose a long, random password that uses letters, numbers, and symbols. According to this table, an 11 character password, using only upper and lower case letters, would take over 4 years to hack. And, if we put a number in the middle, 38 years.
With just one more character (12), we would talk about 289 years using only upper and lower case letters, and 2000 years if we already put a number in it. Not to mention the astronomical times we get if we start using symbols.
For this reason, it is very important to bet on password managers, those programs that help us save the passwords of the websites where we register, and also use them to generate secure passwords.
