Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

What is the main use of hashcat?

1. Network discovery

2. Password guessing and cracking

3. Remote access to systems

4. Password recovery for users

The correct answer is: Password guessing and cracking

Hashcat is primarily designed for password guessing and cracking, making it a powerful tool in ethical hacking and cybersecurity. It leverages various hashing algorithms to decode password hashes, allowing users to recover or break passwords that have been stored securely. The tool supports a wide variety of hash types, which means it can be used to target different kinds of password protection found in various applications and systems. Ethical hackers and security professionals often use this tool to test the strength of passwords and identify vulnerabilities within systems, ensuring proper security measures are in place. In contrast, network discovery focuses on identifying devices on a network, remote access pertains to controlling systems from a distance, and password recovery typically refers to helping end-users recover their forgotten passwords without the intent to breach security. These functions fall outside the primary purpose of hashcat, which centers specifically on the analysis and breaking of password hashes.