File:Password Cracking-Software and Hardware Comparison-ITTK20-WS19.pdf

Abstract

The dilemma with recovering a password is the uncertainty about the amount of time to conclude. Choosing the wrong hardware or software can drastically affect the time required to complete the process and, thus, the feasibility of the project. This paper deals with the fundamental questions, which setup should be used when testing authentication mechanisms and passwords. For this purpose, the renowned programs Hashcat and John the Ripper have been deployed on various platforms, ranging from embedded devices and Smartphones over Laptops and Desktops to Servers, to gather benchmarks, which are subsequently processed and compared. In this case, the factors operating system, testing tool, and version as well as platform and processor play a determining role in deciding which combination is best suited for a specific situation.

Even though, the results show that generally, Graphics Processing Unit calculations are much faster than Central Processing Unit calculations. It can also be said that Hashcat, which specializes in Graphics Processing Units, is not very easy to get it up and running on any processor, whereas John the Ripper runs on almost every Central Processing Unit and Operating System. Even though some hardware has proven to be effective by the community, no general statement shall be made, and it should always be decided on a case-by-case basis, which setup suites best for a distinct purpose or any existing hardware.

Keywords: Password cracking, Password Attacks, Hashcat, John the Ripper, Benchmark- ing, Penetration Testing Tools