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In the field information system security a brute-force attack is a method to determine 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.

The implementation of such an attack involves the generation of a series of keys either algorithmically or from a predetermined list. The latter is also known as a dictionary attack. The generated keys and the chosen cipher are applied to the message to produce a plain text. Each passage of plain text must be verified to determine if it is a valid and therefore properly decrypted message.

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