GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) — Question 128

Which encryption algorithm was replaced with the introduction of the /etc/shadow file in the Linux OS?

Answer options

• A. DES
• B. MD5
• C. SHA-256
• D. Blowfish

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is A, DES, which was used for password encryption in earlier Linux systems before the /etc/shadow file was introduced for better security. Options B, C, and D refer to other encryption algorithms that were not directly replaced by the shadow file, as the shadow file primarily transitioned from using DES to more secure hashing methods.