How long until bots can profitably guess private keys?

[nutildah]

I heard that there exists a persistent army of bots that are currently trying every possible combination of known words to unlock a brain wallet, which apparently happens all the time. This was 8 months ago:

http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1ptuf3/brain_wallet_disaster/


So... I realize the brainwallet word combination is many exponents smaller in possible combinations than the private key, but what happens if/when the processor power is developed to brute force keys with relative success?

Maybe it will take until some well-connected cybercriminal element gets their hands on a functioning quantum supercomputer and can actually use it to harvest correct private key and address matches from parallel universes. Or such.

[CrackedLogic]

 but what happens if/when the processor power is developed to brute force keys with relative success?

I'm pretty sure the keys are encrypted well, I don't think it's going to take a short period of time to guess the private keys.

[Ron~Popeil]

If I understand it correctly it would literally take years to get even one private key. Even so it is wise to move your coins from time to time. A moving target is much harder to hit.

[DeathAndTaxes]

256 bit random keys where the PubKey is not known to the attacker?  Oh that would be shortly after never.

[Remember remember the 5th of November]

If I understand it correctly it would literally take years to get even one private key. Even so it is wise to move your coins from time to time. A moving target is much harder to hit.

You should add billions, or at least millions of years.

[nutildah]

If I understand it correctly it would literally take years to get even one private key. Even so it is wise to move your coins from time to time. A moving target is much harder to hit.

You should add billions, or at least millions of years.

Is this based on current CPU processing limits or taking into account future advancements in technology at a given rate?

[Remember remember the 5th of November]

If I understand it correctly it would literally take years to get even one private key. Even so it is wise to move your coins from time to time. A moving target is much harder to hit.

You should add billions, or at least millions of years.

Is this based on current CPU processing limits or taking into account future advancements in technology at a given rate?

Yep and future too. Somebody even said that we are even safe from quantum computers, although I don't remember the reason.

[jonald_fyookball]

If I understand it correctly it would literally take years to get even one private key. Even so it is wise to move your coins from time to time. A moving target is much harder to hit.

You should add billions, or at least millions of years.

Is this based on current CPU processing limits or taking into account future advancements in technology at a given rate?

Yep and future too. Somebody even said that we are even safe from quantum computers, although I don't remember the reason.

1. Because quantum computers don't exist yet beyond very crude prototypes.

2. Because quantum computers only have an advantage on certain types of math problems.
They cannot reverse a hash function.  Which means if you don't re-use addresses,  you are safe.

[nutildah]

If I understand it correctly it would literally take years to get even one private key. Even so it is wise to move your coins from time to time. A moving target is much harder to hit.

You should add billions, or at least millions of years.

Is this based on current CPU processing limits or taking into account future advancements in technology at a given rate?

Yep and future too. Somebody even said that we are even safe from quantum computers, although I don't remember the reason.

Well, score one point for bitcoin.

I dunno though. My quantum computer could do it. Its going to be similar to the one Edward Snowden said the NSA is working on. I'm just waiting for some parts to come in from Bangladesh. At $27 million its a relative steal. (that was the budget allocated by the NSA for that project at the time, according to Snowden)

[DeathAndTaxes]

1. Because quantum computers don't exist yet beyond very crude prototypes.

I would update that to "general purpose quantum computers" before some noob comes flying in with a DWAVE headline.

[zetaray]

I often worry about this myself. I reuse addresses, but I figure it will take much much longer to crack my private key before the day I change to another main receiving address. Most importantly, I have too little to be a target. 

[jonald_fyookball]

I often worry about this myself. I reuse addresses, but I figure it will take much much longer to crack my private key before the day I change to another main receiving address. Most importantly, I have too little to be a target. 

You can re-use an address to receive with no loss of security.

When you send, you should be sending the change to
a new address.  Many wallets do this automatically.

Besides, quantum computers can't exploit spent
addresses yet.  The biggest number factored
so far was "143", so elliptic curve cryptography
used in Bitcoin is secure.

(see:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shor%27s_Algorithm )

[joshraban76]

From what I understand and I could be wrong. The security is several times stronger then typical bank encryption. I don't think we will be around to see such a thing.

[Cryptopher]

With the number of addresses out there with little to no coins inside of them the solution to 'cracking' the private key of brainwallets would have to be pretty quick to be profitable, I'd imagine.

There are a few assumptions to determine the profitability, but it would be gutting to spend so much time opening one up to find nothing there, kind of like a tough pistachio nut.

[DrG]

The answer depends on which version of the universe/mutliverse you believe in.  If you believe in a multiverse it will be in the trillions of years.  If you believe in a singular universe the is slowing its expansion and will collapse in on itself and recycle, the never.  If you believe in inflation (negative gravity) it would also be trillions of years.  Better spread those BTC around to multiple wallets! 

[nutildah]

Well after hanging around here for a few months one thing I've learned for certain is you can't put it past somebody to work really, really hard at figuring out a way to take it really, really easy.

[hnonmai005]

Hello, I like examining all of your post. I wanted to publish just a little review to compliment an individual.

[joele]

Here is a good site to play with password and time to brute force it.
https://www.grc.com/haystack.htm

[nutildah]

Hello, I like examining all of your post. I wanted to publish just a little review to compliment an individual.

Hey if you're talking to me thanks, I appreciate it. Hey you're not about to try and guess my private key are you??

Here is a good site to play with password and time to brute force it.
https://www.grc.com/haystack.htm

This is awesome and extremely educational. Thank you.

[rme]

Here is a good site to play with password and time to brute force it.
https://www.grc.com/haystack.htm

28.23 trillion trillion trillion centuries (Assuming one hundred trillion guesses per second)

We are fine