brute-force attack
[ broot-fawrsuh-tak ]
/ ˈbrutˈfɔrs əˌtæk /
noun Computers.
a computer hacking technique in which every possible combination of characters is tried until the sought-after password or encryption key is found: A malicious hacker may resort to a brute-force attack to gain entry to your account.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of brute-force attack
First recorded in 2000–05
Words nearby brute-force attack
brutalism, brutality, brutalize, brute, brute force, brute-force attack, brutify, brutish, Brutus, Brutus is an honorable man, brux
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021