Brute force is one of the simplest yet most effective attack types and it targets millions of sites daily. In this attack the attacker tries all possible password combinations to find the correct one. With automated bots the process can be very fast and weak passwords can be cracked in minutes.
Most Vulnerable Entry Points
For internet servers the most attacked entry points are usually standard services. For WordPress sites the main target is wp-login.php which receives hundreds of attempts per hour. This page is at a standard address on all WordPress sites without additional protection so bots find it automatically.
On the server side the most attacked service is SSH on the standard port 22. Bots scan all port 22 across the internet and when they find SSH they immediately try root and common passwords. Other dangerous points include FTP, database ports, admin panels and management interfaces.
Strong Passwords and Two Factor Authentication
The best defense against brute force is a strong password and this simple truth is often underestimated. Passwords shorter than twelve characters can be cracked by automated tools in days. Passwords longer than sixteen characters are practically unbreakable with current computing power.
Two factor authentication adds an extra protection layer that makes brute force virtually impossible. Even if the attacker knows the password they cannot enter without the second factor. This protection should be mandatory for admin panels and important accounts.
Rate Limiting and Attempt Caps
Rate limiting is a mechanism that limits allowed requests per time period and it dramatically reduces brute force effectiveness. For example allowing only five login attempts per minute from one IP makes password guessing practically impossible because trying a billion dictionary variants would take years.
IP Blocking Strategies
IP blocking is a classic defense method that remains effective. An automatic blocking system temporarily or permanently blocks IPs with multiple failed attempts. This is implemented through tools like fail2ban and requires minimal resources. Geographic blocking is another strategy where you block countries from which you do not expect legitimate access.
Application Level Protection
For WordPress and other popular systems there are dedicated security plugins that automate brute force protection. These plugins move wp-login to another address, add captcha, limit attempts and notify about suspicious activity. At server level the most effective protection is a web application firewall or WAF.
Sayt.uz Practice
Our servers record an average of 47 thousand brute force attempts per day and 99 percent are blocked by the automated system. Among client sites that use a security plugin incident count is 94 percent lower. In the Sayt.uz panel brute force protection is enabled automatically and fail2ban runs on all servers. As an additional layer we offer WAF from 75 thousand sums per month and a security audit service from 420 thousand sums.