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Brute-force attack is a method of determining the key of an encrypted message. While simple to implement, it is a computationally expensive method of attack. A Brute-Force attack is similar to a Brute-force search.

Usually, a series of keys are generated via an algorithm or from a predetermined list (usually referred to as a dictionary). Keys are applied to the message to produce plain text. Each passage of plain text must be verified to determine if it is the desired message.

This is an extremely time-consuming task. Cracking a message with a relatively miniscule 6-digit alphanumeric key has ${\displaystyle 62^{6}}$ possible solutions, each of which must be run through a verfication process.

The benefit of a Brute-Force attack is that, eventually, the correct key will be produced.

Specifics of Brute-force methods can be found at Brute-force search.