How to Guess a Password

Use common password patterns. Every year, a list of the 25 most common passwords is published. These passwords are the easiest to guess, making them the most vulnerable to theft. While you should avoid using these types of passwords for yourself, consider looking at this list for inspiration. The 25 most common passwords of 2017 included:

• 123456
• Password
• 12345678
• 12345
• 123456789
• letmein
• 1234567
• football
• iloveyou
• admin
• welcome
• monkey
• login
• abc123
• starwars
• 123123
• dragon
• passw0rd
• master
• hello
• freedom
• whatever
• qazwsx
• trustno1
• password1

Use common password guessing techniques. In addition to randomly guessing weak passwords, there are specific strategies used by expert password crackers. For instance, they know there’s a high chance (over 50%) that the password will contain more than one vowel. Here are a few tricks you should be aware of:

• If the password contains numbers, it will likely be either '1' or '2', and usually positioned at the end of the password.
• If there are uppercase letters, they are often placed at the beginning, followed closely by a vowel.

Consider whether the password needs to meet certain requirements. Also, think about whether there’s a minimum length for the password (usually, it should be at least 6 characters long), or if it needs to contain at least one number, symbol, or special character. If you’re unsure, you can try creating an account on the website where you’re attempting to crack the password and find out the password rules there.

Look for hints. If there’s an option for a 'hint', click on it to see if it provides any useful information. The hint question could be something like 'What’s your mother’s maiden name?' or 'What’s the name of your first pet?' While you might not know the exact name of their first pet, you can still guess from the most common pet names. Or, if you’re observant, try bringing up the topic of their first pet in conversation.

• Hint sections can narrow down your search a bit if you know some personal details about the person. For example, if the hint question is 'Where were you born?', you might already know that information.

Use names related to the person. Many people, especially women, use the names of their loved ones or friends as passwords. They might not use their own name, but it’s still worth trying. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• The name of their spouse or significant other
• The name of a sibling
• The name of their most beloved or current pet
• The name of their favorite athlete (especially for men)
• The nickname they had as a child or still use today

Guess their hobbies or interests. You can also attempt to crack someone’s password by thinking about their hobbies or interests.

• Try combining the name of their favorite athlete with the sport they enjoy. For example, 'Tigergolf' or 'Kobebball'.
• Guess the name of the TV show your girlfriend loves or the name of her favorite character from that show.
• Guess their favorite sport. If they like swimming, try the password 'Swimmer' followed by a few numbers.

Guess important numbers. Many people include numbers in their passwords, often using a significant date or a lucky number. Some even choose passwords that are entirely numeric. You can try the following numbers or add them to the end of any phrases you’ve already guessed. Here are a few ways to guess numbers in a password:

• Guess their birthdate. For instance, if their birthday is December 18, 1975, try '181275' or '18121975'.
• Try using their home address. For example, the number '16' might be part of their password.
• Try their lucky number, if they’ve ever mentioned it.
• If they play a sport, try adding their jersey number to the password.
• Try using parts of their phone number.
• Try using the name of their class in college or high school.

Use the names of things they like. You can sometimes guess someone’s password based on things they love. Here are a few ideas:

• The TV show they enjoy watching.
• The movie they love.
• The food they can’t resist.
• The book they cherish the most.

• When attempting to crack a password, make sure you’re not being watched by anyone.
• If you know the person well, think about their hobbies and interests, as this can help you guess their password.
• Passwords may be case-sensitive, and the person might use very unusual combinations of uppercase and lowercase letters. Be mindful of this.
• Sometimes, the person may use verbs instead of nouns.
• If you already know how many characters are in the password, you’ll save a lot of time.
• For Vietnamese people, you should try guessing the password in both Vietnamese and English.

• The platform where the account you’re trying to steal the password from will often have a 'maximum failed attempts' limit – for example, you may be allowed 3 incorrect tries within a 2-minute window. If you exceed this, especially with a phone PIN, you might be locked out permanently.
• Do not engage in illegal activities or put yourself in trouble.
• Never attempt to crack someone else’s password if it’s against the law (e.g., attempting to hack into someone’s Wi-Fi with a guessed password).