Home Security Heroes, a group of internet security specialists, discovered that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can hack more than 50% of commonly used passwords in under a minute. The research focuses on PassGAN, an AI password breaker. They put 15,680,000 passwords to the test.
According to the study, Artificial Intelligence could crack over 51% of passwords in less than 60 seconds. Furthermore, the AI can hack over 66% of passwords in less than an hour and 81% in less than 30 days.
But, AI can only guess easy-to-predict and generic passwords in under a minute. Little passwords with short character lengths are easily guessable by AI. Using your name or date of birth as a password, for example, makes it generic and easy to guess.
It takes longer for Artificial Intelligence to predict passwords with multiple characters. Passwords with 18 characters or more are protected from AI password crackers, according to the study. Passwords with 18 characters will take Artificial Intelligence up to ten months to crack. Additionally, passwords with a mix of symbols, digits, and upper and lower case characters are tough for Artificial Intelligence to crack. Such passwords are secure because decryption by AI might take six quintillion years.
Ways to protect yourself from password-cracking AIs
These are a few steps to take to protect your passwords against an AI hack:
- Avoid using predictable or generic passwords, particularly those that solely contain numbers.
- Passwords must be at least 15 characters long and contain a combination of symbols, numbers, and alphabets.
- To keep track of your passwords across many accounts, use a password manager.
- In the password, include at least two letters (upper and lower case), numbers, and symbols.
- As a habit, change your passwords every three to six months.
- Avoid using a single password for all of your accounts.
- On the official website of Home Security Heroes, you can also see if your password is immune to AI.