CompTIA Security+ Question E-30

A security administrator is concerned about the strength of user’s passwords. The company does not want to implement a password complexity policy. Which of the following can the security Administrator implement to mitigate the risk of an online password attack against users with weak passwords?

A. Increase the password length requirements
B. Increase the password history
C. Shorten the password expiration period
D. Decrease the account lockout time

Answer: C

Explanation:
Reducing the password expiration period will require passwords to be changed at the end of that period. A password needs to be changed if it doesn’t meet the compliance requirements of the company’s password policy, or is evidently insecure. It will also need to be changed if it has been reused, or due to possible compromise as a result of a system intrusion. This will give online password attackers less time to crack the weak passwords.

CompTIA Security+ Question E-14

A recent review of accounts on various systems has found that after employees’ passwords are required to change they are recycling the same password as before. Which of the following policies should be enforced to prevent this from happening? (Select TWO).

A. Reverse encryption
B. Minimum password age
C. Password complexity
D. Account lockouts
E. Password history
F. Password expiration

Answer: B,E

Explanation:
E: Password history determines the number of previous passwords that cannot be used when a user changes his password. For example, a password history value of 5 would disallow a user from changing his password to any of his previous 5 passwords.

B: When a user is forced to change his password due to a maximum password age period expiring, he could change his password to a previously used password. Or if a password history value of 5 is configured, the user could change his password six times to cycle back round to his original password. This is where the minimum password age comes in. This is the period that a password must be used for. For example, a minimum password age of 30 would determine that when a user changes his password, he must continue to use the same password for at least 30 days.

CompTIA Security+ Question D-11

Several employee accounts appear to have been cracked by an attacker. Which of the following should the security administrator implement to mitigate password cracking attacks? (Select TWO).

A. Increase password complexity
B. Deploy an IDS to capture suspicious logins
C. Implement password history
D. Implement monitoring of logins
E. Implement password expiration
F. Increase password length

Answer: A,F

Explanation:
The more difficult a password is the more difficult it is to be cracked by an attacker. By increasing the password complexity you make it more difficult. Passwords that are too short can easily be cracked. The more characters used in a password, combined with the increased complexity will mitigate password cracking attacks.

CompTIA Security+ Question C-4

An auditing team has found that passwords do not meet best business practices. Which of the following will MOST increase the security of the passwords? (Select TWO).

A. Password Complexity
B. Password Expiration
C. Password Age
D. Password Length
E. Password History

Answer: A,D

Explanation:
Passwords should have the strength to avoid discovery through attack, but it should also be easy enough for the user to remember. The length and complexity of a password combined are vital factors in defining a password’s strength.

CompTIA Security+ Question B-27

A system administrator has noticed that users change their password many times to cycle back to the original password when their passwords expire. Which of the following would BEST prevent this behavior?

A. Assign users passwords based upon job role.
B. Enforce a minimum password age policy.
C. Prevent users from choosing their own passwords.
D. Increase the password expiration time frame.

Answer: B

Explanation:
A minimum password age policy defines the period that a password must be used for before it can be changed.