Password-Based Encryption derives is a cryptographic method that derives encryption/decryption keys from user passwords using a derivation function, as well as an iteration count of salt-hashing on the password to increase the computational cost of cracking the password (and ipso-facto the plaintext). However, weak passwords still remain vulnerable to brute force attacks.

The main objective of this program is to estimate the time required for such attacks based on various factors, using experimental measurements obtained from the Java implementation of the Password Based Encryption with Message Digest(MD5) and the Data Encryption Standard(DES).Results can be found here, in the accompanying report for the experiment.