Which of the following best describes a brute force attack?

A brute force attack is characterized by its methodical approach to attempt to gain unauthorized access by systematically trying every possible combination of passwords or encryption keys until the correct one is found. This approach relies purely on processing power and time, making it a straightforward, though often time-consuming, method for compromising accounts or systems.

In this context, the definition aligns perfectly with the nature of brute force attacks, as they do not leverage social engineering, exploit specific software vulnerabilities, or involve the installation of malware. Instead, they depend solely on the trial-and-error method to guess correct credentials, which is why this choice is the most accurate description of this type of attack.