Ethical Password Cracking

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Windows and macOS Password Cracking

The two most prominent desktop operating systems at this point are, by far, some variation of Windows or macOS. Windows has held a dominant position in the desktop space for years and cemented that hold with versions such as Windows 95, 98, XP, and, more recently, Windows 7, 10, and 11. These systems often store credentials locally for logging in users, even if the network is not available. If we can retrieve the hashes of these passwords, we can attempt to crack them to recover access or whatever other needs are required.

On the other hand, once an operating system frequented by artists and executives, macOS has found an increasingly common home in the corporate office space, and it’s also used by many ...