100-150 Question 283
Select 3A company's network administrator noticed an increase in spam emails, phishing attempts, and malware infections. After investigating, they found weak password policies and an improperly configured Active Directory. Which of the following actions should be taken to reduce these security threats?
- A
Implement a password policy requiring a minimum of 12 characters with complexity requirements.
- B
Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all Active Directory accounts.
- C
Disable auditing of login attempts to reduce system overhead.
- D
Provide employee training on recognizing phishing and spam emails.
- E
Allow users to reuse their last 5 passwords to keep password management simple.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, B, D
Explanation
To mitigate threats such as spam, phishing, malware, and denial of service, organizations need to strengthen their password policies, enable multi-factor authentication, and ensure employees are trained to recognize social engineering attempts. Disabling auditing or allowing weak password practices creates vulnerabilities and undermines security efforts.
- A. Correct.
Implementing a strong password policy with a minimum length and complexity requirements reduces the risk of brute-force attacks and credential stuffing.
- B. Correct.
Enabling MFA adds an additional layer of security, making it harder for attackers to access accounts even if passwords are compromised.
- C. Incorrect.
Disabling login attempt auditing would reduce visibility into potential brute-force or unauthorized access attempts, increasing vulnerabilities.
- D. Correct.
Employee training helps users identify phishing and spam emails, reducing the likelihood of successful social engineering attacks.
- E. Incorrect.
Allowing users to reuse old passwords weakens password security, making it easier for attackers to guess or reuse previously compromised credentials.