• EC-council logo

Advanced Cyber Security Training: Hands-On Password Attacks

Learn how to increase your password security and get hands-on experience of password attacks and penetration test methods.

639 enrolled on this course

  • Duration

    2 weeks
  • Weekly study

    2 hours

Identify the downsides of passwords in digital security

Passwords are an integral part of digital security, but it’s important to know their vulnerabilities to maintain strong cyber security.

On this two-week course, you’ll explore different types of password attacks and how to use them in a penetration test and security assessment.

Through practical experience, you’ll understand how malicious password attacks occur and what you can do to prevent them.

Learn multiple password attacks and use them in a penetration test

You’ll begin by covering the basic theory of password protection by understanding topics on cryptography, password entropy and hashing. You’ll then put this into practice by learning how to crack passwords.

You’ll learn how to set up a small environment for security testing where you’ll delve into a diverse range of methodologies to bypass passwords, including brute force attack, dictionary attack, rainbow table attack and keylogger.

Crack different types of passwords and learn how to create secure passwords

As you learn how to crack a variety of password types, you’ll become familiar with the tools required to prevent password attacks.. What’s more, you’ll learn how to create strong, unforgettable passwords that offer more security.

By the end of the course, you’ll understand the theory behind password attacks, how to create a uncrackable password, and the solutions and techniques you can implement to prevent attacks in future.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Introduction to Password Security and Types of Password Attacks

    • A login page requesting a username and a password against a blue background.

      Welcome to the Expert Track

      Welcome to Hands-On Password Attacks and Security and the start of your learning journey on Advanced Cyber Security Training brought to you by EC Council.

    • An image of a password input on binary code.

      Welcome to the Course

      In these steps, you will be introduced to your educator and learn what to expect in the coming weeks.

    • A smartphone screen with the login page.

      Bypassing Your First Password

      In this activity, we will cover the basics to get started with bypassing passwords. We will install all the necessary tools, and we will look at the structure of passwords as well as some legal considerations.

    • A man punching his fist straight through a computer.

      Brute Force Attacks

      In this activity, we will cover how brute force attacks work, and we will perform different types of brute force attacks on passwords of different strengths.

    • A man bent over a dictionary.

      Dictionary Attacks

      In this activity, we will cover how to get a word list and perform a dictionary attack with and without rules.

    • An image of a rainbow over a green field.

      Rainbow Table Attacks

      In this activity, we will cover what rainbow tables are and how to build them. We will then perform an attack on a password using a rainbow table.

    • An image of people connected by vector lines.

      Week 1 Summary

      You have reached the end of Week 1! In this activity, you will reflect on what you have covered so far.

  • Week 2

    Password Security in the Real World

    • A woman sits in front of screens in a control room.

      Welcome to Week 2

      Week 2 will focus on the potential remedies to the attack techniques discussed last week, as well as explore some case studies of data breaches at large organizations, such as Zoom and Canva, and the consequences thereof.

    • A man scans his hand at an airport access control.

      The Downside of Passwords

      In this activity, we will cover the downsides of passwords, their vulnerabilities, and their (mis)use. We will also take a brief look at alternatives to passwords.

    • A guard stands in front of several computer screens

      Remedies and Mitigations

      We will cover the remedies for the attacks demonstrated in the course. We will also take a look at different password managers and how they can or cannot solve our problems with passwords.

    • A man sits in front of a screen with Zoom open.

      Case Studies

      Let's look at some real-life cases where passwords were stolen or cracked and abused by an attacker. We will also look at how this could have been prevented and what the consequences for the company were.

    • An abstract image of a crowd walking over binary code.

      Week 2 Summary

      You have reached the end of Week 2! In this activity, you will reflect on what you have covered so far.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Understand how to set up a small environment for security testing
  • Understand how to bypass passwords using Brute Force Attacks, Dictionary Attacks, Rainbow table attacks and keyloggers
  • Understand how to use different tools to perform password attacks 
  • Understand how to prevent Brute Force Attacks, Dictionary Attacks, Rainbow table attacks and sniffing via keyloggers how to create strong passwords that you will never forget
  • Explore tools to help you prevent password attacks and/or create a strong password

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for beginner and intermediate level learners interested in improving their understanding of cyber security and how to create secure passwords.

You should be familiar with computers, bash (or similar), and be able to install Windows + Linux.

What software or tools do you need?

To complete this course, you will need:

Who developed the course?

EC-council logo

EC-Council

International Council of E-Commerce Consultants, also known as EC-Council, is the world’s largest cyber security technical certification body.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

Learner reviews