The attacker performs password cracking without communicating with the authorizing party.

• A. Offline Attacks
• B. Passive Online Attacks
• C. Non-Electronic Attacks
• D. Active Online Attacks

Answer: (B)

The scenario tests the distinction between offline and online password cracking. When an attacker cracks passwords without contacting the authentication server, they’re working offline: they’ve obtained a set of password hashes or a password database and run cracking tools locally, without interacting with the live login process. This is different from online attacks, where the attacker tests guesses by communicating with the server during login attempts, which can be detected and may trigger defenses. Among online options, active would mean actively submitting guesses to the system, while passive would involve monitoring without direct interference. Since there is no communication with the authorizing party, the offline method fits best. Non-electronic attacks are not applicable to this digital password-cracking context.