What type of attack utilizes a list of words to guess passwords for encrypted files?

The type of attack that utilizes a list of words to guess passwords for encrypted files is indeed a password dictionary attack. This method relies on a predefined list of potential passwords, which often includes common words, phrases, or variations thereof. The attack focuses on the assumption that many users tend to choose easily memorable and frequently used words as passwords, thus making them vulnerable to being guessed from this list.

In practice, a dictionary attack systematically attempts each word in the list against the password protection mechanism until either the correct password is found or the list is exhausted. This technique is often more efficient than a brute-force attack, which would try every possible combination of characters, as it targets likely passwords instead of all possibilities.

Utilizing a dictionary of known passwords or common words significantly increases the likelihood of success in compromising encrypted files compared to random or more complex attempts. This strategy is especially effective against weak passwords and highlights the importance of using unique and complex passwords that go beyond ordinary language constructs.