220-1102 Question 482
Single answerLog off when not in useA medical office uses shared Windows workstations at the front desk. Staff members often step away briefly and leave patient records open on the screen. The office manager asks a technician for the BEST recommendation to reduce the risk of unauthorized access when a workstation is not being actively used, while still allowing another employee to sign in with their own credentials. Which of the following should the technician recommend?
- A
Log off the current user session when the workstation is no longer in use
- B
Disable password prompts so staff can quickly resume work
- C
Put the workstation into sleep mode without ending the user session
- D
Share a common front-desk account so all employees can continue the same session
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best answer is to log off the current user session when the workstation is not in use. In A+ Core 2 security best practices, users should log off or otherwise secure devices when leaving them unattended. In a shared workstation environment, logging off is preferable because it terminates the current session and lets the next user authenticate with their own credentials, supporting least privilege, accountability, and auditing. This is especially important in environments handling sensitive information such as patient records. Microsoft and general security guidance consistently emphasize using individual user accounts, requiring authentication, and preventing unattended access to active sessions.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Logging off ends the active user session, closes access to that user's applications and data, and allows the next employee to sign in under their own account. This follows the security best practice of logging off when not in use, especially on shared systems handling sensitive information.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Disabling password prompts reduces security by making it easier for unauthorized users to access the workstation or resume someone else's session. It directly undermines access control and accountability.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Sleep mode may reduce power usage, but it does not inherently log the user off. If the system wakes to the same session, sensitive records may still be accessible unless additional lock settings are enforced. The scenario specifically calls for the best recommendation that also allows another employee to sign in with their own credentials.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A shared account prevents accountability, auditing, and proper access tracking. It also increases the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data because actions cannot be tied to an individual user.