Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

What is the correct first step in the process of password guessing according to common practice?

1. Rank passwords from high to low probability

2. Find a valid user

3. Create a list of possible passwords

4. Key in each password until the correct one is discovered

The correct answer is: Find a valid user

The first step in the process of password guessing typically involves identifying a valid user. This is essential because attempting to guess a password without knowing a legitimate username or account would be fruitless. Attackers often use various techniques to gather information about potential usernames, such as social engineering, scanning for usernames on a network, or leveraging publicly available information. Once a valid user is established, the attacker can then proceed with guessing passwords or employing other tactics such as using lists of commonly used passwords. This emphasizes the importance of the initial step—ensuring there's a target account to focus their guessing efforts on, as it directs subsequent actions in the password attack process.