The usage of password protection is an effective method of access control that each and every one of us employs on a regular basis. It is highly likely that it will continue to be a vital cornerstone of cybersecurity for many years to come.
On the other side, cybercriminals use a variety of strategies to circumvent security measures such as passwords, and gain illegal access. This covers attacks involving rainbow tables. The question is, though, what exactly are rainbow table attacks and how hazardous are they? The question that is more crucial to ask is, what can you do to protect yourself against them?
How are usernames and passwords stored?
No service or application that is serious about protecting users’ data would ever save passwords in plain text. This implies that even if your password is “password123” (which it most certainly should not be, for reasons that are self-explanatory), it will not be saved in its original form but rather as a combination of letters and digits.
Hashing refers to the process of turning plain text into a seemingly random combination of characters. This procedure is used to protect passwords. And passwords are hashed with the use of algorithms, which are computer programs that are run automatically and make use of mathematical formulas to randomize and hide plain text. Hashing algorithms such as MD5, SHA, Whirlpool, BCrypt, and PBKDF2 are among the most well-known in the world.
Therefore, if you input the password “password123” into the MD5 algorithm, you will obtain the following result: 482c811da5d5b4bc6d497ffa98491e38. This series of characters is the hashed version of the string “password123,” as well as the format in which your password would be saved if it were to be kept online.
Let’s pretend for argument’s sake that you just logged into your email account. After entering your email address or login, you will be prompted to create a password. The plain text that you submitted will first be converted into its hashed value by the email provider, and then that value will be compared to the hashed value that the email provider had previously stored when you initially set up your password. You are considered authenticated and granted access to your account if the values are the same.
Then, what would the general flow of action be like for a rainbow table attack? Hashes of the passwords would need to be obtained first by the threat actor. To accomplish this goal, they would launch some kind of cyberattack or figure out a means to circumvent the security measures that are in place at a business. Or, instead, they would use the dark web to purchase a dump of stolen hashes.
How do Rainbow Table Attacks work
The next thing that has to be done is to transform the hashes into plain text. It should come as no surprise that the perpetrator of a rainbow table attack would carry out these steps with the aid of a rainbow table.
Philippe Oechslin, an IT professional, is credited with the invention of rainbow tables. Oechslin’s work was based on the study conducted by Martin Hellman, a mathematician, and cryptologist. Rainbow tables, which get their name from the many colors that indicate distinct functions within a table, cut down on the amount of time required to convert a hash to plain text, making it possible for a cybercriminal to carry out an attack in a more effective manner.
In a standard brute force assault, for instance, the threat actor would need to decode every hashed password independently, calculate thousands of word combinations, and then compare the results of these three processes. This approach of learning by trial and error is still effective and probably always will be, but it demands a significant amount of both time and processing power. However, in order to carry out a rainbow table attack, an adversary only needs to run a password hash that they have received through a database of hashes, after which they will continually divide and reduce it until the plain text is disclosed.
To put it succinctly, this is how rainbow table attacks are carried out. Once a password has been cracked, a threat actor is presented with a virtually infinite number of alternatives for how to proceed. They can approach their victim in any one of a variety of methods, with the goal of getting illegal access to a wide variety of personal data, including information relating to online baking and other activities.
How to defend against Rainbow Tables Attacks
Rainbow table attacks are not as widespread as they previously were, but they continue to be a substantial risk for people as well as businesses and organizations of all kinds. The good news is that there are techniques to protect oneself from them. Here are five things you can do to protect yourself from an attack using a rainbow table.
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Create Passwords that are Complicated
It is imperative that you make use of lengthy and difficult passwords. A strong password should not only be memorable, but also contain lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and any other appropriate characters. In this day and age, the majority of platforms and apps need users to do that regardless, so you should be sure to build an impenetrable password that you won’t forget.
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Implement a Two-Factor Authentication System
The vast majority of attacks against passwords are rendered meaningless by multi-factor authentication, also known as MFA. This security method is deceptively straightforward but incredibly effective. You won’t be able to access an account if it has MFA enabled because all you need is your username and password. In its place, you will be required to present additional evidence of your identification. It’s possible that you’ll need to verify your fingerprint and answer a personal security question in addition to confirming your phone number and entering a temporary PIN. Other options include certifying your fingerprint and answering a personal security question.
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Deploy password salting
Hashing passwords is an effective and essential security mechanism; however, what happens if you and another person are both using the same password? The hashed versions of both of them would be exactly the same. The next step is the salting procedure, which is where we find ourselves. The process of adding random characters to each hashed password and therefore producing a password that is entirely one of a kind is known as “password salting.” This piece of advice is also applicable to individuals in addition to businesses.
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Make sure you use a variety of passwords
If you use the same password everywhere, even if that password is extremely secure, it only takes one breach for all of your accounts to be compromised if you use the same password everywhere. Because of this, it is vital to ensure that each of your online accounts has its own unique password. If you don’t use a password, you can’t be the target of a rainbow table attack or any other password-based assault for that matter. If being passwordless is an option, you should also think about this: if you don’t use a password, you can’t be the target of any password-based attack.
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Stay away from Hashing Algorithms that are weak
Certain hashing algorithms, such as MD5, are vulnerable because of their lack of strength, which makes them an easy target. Organizations should stick to modern algorithms such as SHA-256, which is considered to be so secure that it is utilized by government agencies in a variety of countries, including the United States, Australia, and other places. You should make every effort to avoid using platforms and programs that are based on obsolete technology if you are a regular person.
Learn to protect yourself with passwords to avoid attacks
When it comes to avoiding unwanted access and the many various types of cyberattacks, the security of passwords is of the utmost importance. However, it requires more than simply coming up with a distinctive phrase that is simple to recall.
To improve your overall cybersecurity, you must first gain an understanding of how the operation of password protection is actually carried out, and then you must take steps to safeguard your accounts. Some people may find this to be somewhat daunting; nevertheless, employing dependable authentication techniques and a password manager can make a significant difference in the situation.
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