📚 Topic Summary
Password cracking is the process of trying to guess a password. Even though computers can try millions of passwords per second, strong passwords can still be very difficult to crack. Password policies are rules that people must follow when choosing passwords, designed to make them harder to guess. This activity simulates password cracking and introduces the importance of strong password policies without using any computers – it's all about understanding the concepts!
🧠 Part A: Vocabulary
Match the term with its definition:
| Term |
Definition |
| 1. Password Policy |
A. The act of attempting to discover a password. |
| 2. Brute-Force Attack |
B. A set of rules designed to improve password security. |
| 3. Dictionary Attack |
C. A long, randomly generated string of characters used as a password. |
| 4. Strong Password |
D. An attack that tries every possible combination of characters. |
| 5. Password Cracking |
E. An attack that tries common words and phrases from a list. |
(Answers: 1-B, 2-D, 3-E, 4-C, 5-A)
📝 Part B: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the following sentences with the correct words.
A good password policy should enforce a minimum password __________. It should also require the use of __________ case and __________ case letters, as well as numbers and __________. Avoiding common __________ and phrases is also crucial for password security. Finally, regular password __________ are a must.
(Answers: length, upper, lower, symbols, words, changes)
💡 Part C: Critical Thinking
Imagine you are creating a password policy for your school. What are three specific rules you would include, and why?