CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) — Question 224

Easy-to-guess passwords led to an account compromise. The current password policy requires at least 12 alphanumeric characters, one uppercase character, one lowercase character, a password history of two passwords, a minimum password age of one day, and a maximum password age of 90 days. Which of the following would reduce the risk of this incident from happening again? (Choose two.)

Answer options

• A. Increasing the minimum password length to 14 characters.
• B. Upgrading the password hashing algorithm from MD5 to SHA-512.
• C. Increasing the maximum password age to 120 days.
• D. Reducing the minimum password length to ten characters.
• E. Reducing the minimum password age to zero days.
• F. Including a requirement for at least one special character.

Correct answer: A, F

Explanation

Option A is correct as increasing the minimum password length can enhance security by making passwords harder to guess. Option F is also correct because requiring at least one special character adds complexity to the password, further reducing the risk of compromise. All other options either weaken the policy or do not address the password strength issue directly.