Ethical Password Cracking

Packt

Ethical Password Cracking

Instructor: Packt - Course Instructors

Access provided by SGCSRC

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Understand the principles of password security and storage
Discover how to identify and extract password hashes from different systems
Learn to apply dictionary and brute-force attacks effectively

Skills you'll gain

Tools you'll learn

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

11 assignments

Taught in English

Recently updated!

January 2026

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There are 11 modules in this course

In this course, you will delve into the world of password cracking and security, learning essential techniques used by cybersecurity professionals. With tools like John the Ripper and Hashcat, you’ll gain hands-on experience in breaking password protections and understanding password vulnerabilities. This skill is critical in identifying security flaws and strengthening your defenses in a professional setting.

Through a series of lessons, you will explore the core concepts of password security, from credential storage to common cracking techniques. The course equips you with the knowledge to assess system vulnerabilities and protect against unauthorized access. You will gain practical experience setting up a secure, multi-platform password-cracking environment, and learn ethical considerations in this high-stakes domain. What sets this course apart is its combination of theoretical knowledge with real-world application. You'll be given the chance to use industry-leading tools to solve practical password challenges, ensuring you gain both theoretical insights and hands-on expertise in ethical hacking. This course is tailored for cybersecurity professionals, ethical hackers, and penetration testers who wish to broaden their skill set. A basic understanding of Linux and Windows operating systems is recommended, making it ideal for those who already have an interest in ethical hacking and penetration testing.

This section covers password-cracking methods, storage techniques, and security risks. Learn how to protect systems from unauthorized access.

What's included

2 videos3 readings1 assignment

2 videos Total 1 minute

Course Overview 1 minute
Password Storage: Math, Probability, and Complexity - Overview Video 1 minute

3 readings Total 30 minutes

Introduction 10 minutes
Partial Knowledge Also Known as Mask Attacks 10 minutes
Why Are Some Passwords Easier to Crack Than Others 10 minutes

1 assignment Total 10 minutes

Password Security and Cracking Fundamentals 10 minutes

In this section, we explore how OSINT aids password cracking by identifying compromised credentials and generating password candidates from public data sources.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment

In this section, we install and configure John the Ripper and hashcat for password cracking, emphasizing their roles in credential recovery and the use of wordlists for effective attacks.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment

In this section, we explore how to enhance password cracking efficiency using rules. Key concepts include analyzing complexity, applying John and hashcat rules for improved credential recovery.

What's included

1 video3 readings1 assignment

This section covers password hash collection and cracking on Windows and macOS for security assessments.

What's included

1 video1 reading1 assignment

In this section, we explore techniques for collecting, formatting, and cracking Linux password hashes. Key concepts include secure handling of sensitive data and practical applications for system security assessments.

What's included

1 video1 reading1 assignment

This section covers WPA/WPA2 architecture, capturing traffic, and cracking passphrases using aircrack-ng.

What's included

1 video3 readings1 assignment

This section covers password hash collection and cracking for WordPress, Drupal, and Webmin.

What's included

1 video1 reading1 assignment

This section covers methods to recover password vault passphrases using recovery kits and user clues.

What's included

1 video3 readings1 assignment

This section covers passphrase cracking for cryptocurrency wallets, including Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment

In this section, we explore methods to improve password security, including implementing policies, designing user guidelines, and analyzing hashing algorithms to resist cracking attacks.

What's included

1 video1 reading1 assignment

Instructor

Packt - Course Instructors

Packt

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