The technique used for recovering passwords from hashes using the unused processing power of machines across the network is known as what?

The technique used for recovering passwords from hashes using the unused processing power of machines across the network is known as what?

• A. Brute Force
• B. Dictionary Attack
• C. Packet Sniffing
• D. Distributed Network Attack (DNA)

Answer: (D)

Distributed password cracking targets password hashes by dividing the guessing workload among many machines on a network, allowing them to work in parallel. This harnesses unused processing power across the network to try vast numbers of guesses quickly, which is exactly what the described technique implies. The other options describe either single-machine methods or different activities: brute force or dictionary attacks can be performed locally rather than distributed across machines; packet sniffing involves capturing network traffic rather than cracking hashes. Distributed Network Attack captures the idea of coordinating multiple machines to crack hashes, so it’s the best fit.

Distributed password cracking targets password hashes by dividing the guessing workload among many machines on a network, allowing them to work in parallel. This harnesses unused processing power across the network to try vast numbers of guesses quickly, which is exactly what the described technique implies. The other options describe either single-machine methods or different activities: brute force or dictionary attacks can be performed locally rather than distributed across machines; packet sniffing involves capturing network traffic rather than cracking hashes. Distributed Network Attack captures the idea of coordinating multiple machines to crack hashes, so it’s the best fit.