If you're already taking some precautions, like creating unique passwords, how safe is your information?

Answer:

Between 4 seconds and 1 month, depending on the password characteristics.

Note: This calculation includes a few assumptions, including that you don't use dictionary words or repeated passwords. 

Questions: 

• Why do you think there is such a range in the time it takes?
• How long is your typical password?
• Do you use the same password for multiple websites? 
• Have you (or do you know anyone who has) been hacked? Do you know how it happened? 

Here are the ready-to-use slides for this Question of the Day for your classroom.

Behind the numbers (Hive):

"In 2024, we took a look at what hashing (if any) had been observed in password breaches over the years and based on recent data and trends, moved from assuming MD5 to assuming bcrypt. For bcrypt, we also set it to 32 iterations. We stuck with 12x RTX 4090s because that still appears to be the best consumer accessible hardware configuration that won’t block you from running tools used for brute forcing passwords. We also now offer the Password Table in multiple languages!"

"Our password table focuses on the idea that the hacker is working in a “black box” situation and is having to start from scratch to crack your hash in order to show the “worst case” or “maximum time required.” Most hackers will prioritize which words and strings of characters they’ll work on first through the use of rainbow tables, dictionary attacks, and previously stolen hashes."

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.

More posts by Kathryn