We hear the “how long will it take to break…” question all the time. The answer is always the same: “it depends”. In this article we’ll try to give a detailed explanation and a definite answer for as many possible combinations as possible.

Do you need that password?

First thing first: are you sure you absolutely need o know that password? In many cases, protection can be removed without cracking the original password. This, for example, applies to legacy Quicken and QuickBooks documents, Microsoft Office documents saved in Microsoft Office 97-2000 or newer versions of Office in the Office 97-2003 format with default encryption settings, Microsoft SQL Server databases and certain types of Windows passwords (with few exceptions). (more…)