What is a brute force attack?

A brute force attack involves systematically attempting all possible combinations of passwords or encryption keys until the correct one is discovered. This method relies on the computing power available to try various combinations until success is achieved, making it one of the most straightforward yet time-consuming techniques employed by attackers. The effectiveness of this attack often depends on the complexity and length of the password or key being targeted; simpler or shorter passwords can be deciphered quickly, while more complex ones may take significantly longer to crack.

In contrast, the other options describe methods that do not fit the definition of a brute force attack. Stealing data through physical access refers to theft or data extraction without needing to crack encryptions or passwords, while decoding encrypted messages is more analytical or mathematical than a straightforward brute-force guessing approach. Finally, exploiting known vulnerabilities is a targeted attack strategy rather than a method of systematically trying credentials.