Brute force is defined as a cryptanalysis technique or other attack method involving an exhaustive procedure that tries all possibilities, one-by-one. Which term matches this definition?

Brute force is defined as a cryptanalysis technique or other attack method involving an exhaustive procedure that tries all possibilities, one-by-one. Which term matches this definition?

• A. Brute force
• B. Dictionary attack
• C. Rainbow table attack
• D. Side-channel attack

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is an attack that systematically tries every possible input, one by one, until the correct one is found. This is exactly what brute force means: an exhaustive search through all possibilities. The full name describes the approach clearly—no shortcuts, no assumptions—until the target is cracked. Other methods differ in how they approach the problem. A dictionary attack uses a precompiled list of likely passwords and tries them, which is fast when users pick common phrases but isn’t an exhaustive search of all possibilities. Rainbow table attacks rely on precomputed chains to reverse hashes quickly, trading memory for speed rather than performing an in-line exhaustive search. Side-channel attacks don’t guess inputs at all; they exploit leaked information from the system’s operation, such as timing or power consumption, to reveal secrets.

The concept being tested is an attack that systematically tries every possible input, one by one, until the correct one is found. This is exactly what brute force means: an exhaustive search through all possibilities. The full name describes the approach clearly—no shortcuts, no assumptions—until the target is cracked.

Other methods differ in how they approach the problem. A dictionary attack uses a precompiled list of likely passwords and tries them, which is fast when users pick common phrases but isn’t an exhaustive search of all possibilities. Rainbow table attacks rely on precomputed chains to reverse hashes quickly, trading memory for speed rather than performing an in-line exhaustive search. Side-channel attacks don’t guess inputs at all; they exploit leaked information from the system’s operation, such as timing or power consumption, to reveal secrets.