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Quizzes > Quizzes for Business > Technology

Take the Password Security Quiz Now

Assess Your Password Protection Strategies Today

Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 20
Learning OutcomesStudy Material
Colorful paper art depicting elements related to a Password Security Quiz.

Ready to challenge your knowledge of password security? Joanna Weib invites IT professionals, educators, and security enthusiasts to test their password best practices through this interactive Security Awareness Quiz . You'll explore real-world scenarios, improve password strength, and master secure management techniques. All questions are fully editable in our quizzes editor, letting you personalize content for any audience. For curriculum developers seeking deeper insights, check out the Development Stage Password Quiz !

What characteristic is most essential for a strong password?
It is easy to remember for everyone.
It is very short but complex.
It includes personal information like birthdays.
It uses a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Strong passwords are long and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. These characteristics make them harder to guess or crack.
What is a dictionary attack?
An attack that guesses passwords based on personal details.
An attack using a list of common words and phrases.
An attack using every possible character combination.
An attack that intercepts passwords over the network.
A dictionary attack uses a list of common words and phrases to attempt to guess passwords. This method exploits predictable or simple passwords that appear in wordlists.
Why should you avoid using the same password on multiple sites?
It speeds up the login process.
It increases vulnerability if one site is breached.
It makes passwords easier to remember.
It makes breaches less risky.
Reusing the same password across multiple sites means a breach on one service can compromise your accounts everywhere you use that password. Unique passwords prevent this cascading vulnerability.
What does two-factor authentication require?
Two passwords from the user.
A password and a username.
Something you have twice.
Something you know and something you have.
Two-factor authentication requires something you know, like a password, and something you have, such as a mobile device. This combination adds an extra layer of security beyond just a password.
Which password is more secure against brute-force attacks?
A random 8-digit string.
Summer2021
A 12-character random string.
Passw0rd!
A 12-character random string is more secure because each additional character exponentially increases the number of possible combinations. Longer random passwords are much harder for attackers to brute force compared to shorter or predictable ones.
Which of the following is not one of the three standard authentication factors?
Somewhere you are.
Something you know.
Something you have.
Something you are.
The three standard authentication factors are something you know, something you have, and something you are. 'Somewhere you are' or location-based factors are not part of the traditional three. This answer tests your understanding of classic authentication models.
What is the most secure way to store passwords on a server?
Encrypted with a reversible cipher.
Hashed with a unique salt.
In plaintext in a database.
Base64 encoded.
Hashing with a unique salt is considered most secure because it stores only irreversible hashes and prevents the use of precomputed attack tables. Other methods like reversible encryption or plaintext leave passwords exposed if decryption keys or servers are compromised.
How does adding a unique salt to each password hash improve security?
It prevents use of rainbow tables.
It speeds up the hashing process.
It reduces the password length requirement.
It simplifies password recovery.
A unique salt ensures that identical passwords produce different hashes, which prevents attackers from using rainbow tables to reverse hashes. Without salts, attackers can precompute hash tables for common passwords, making breaches easier.
Which tool helps manage multiple strong, unique passwords?
Reusing one complex password everywhere.
A password manager.
Writing passwords on paper.
Browser autocomplete.
A password manager securely stores and generates strong, unique passwords for each account, reducing the risk of reuse and weak passwords. Other methods like writing on paper or relying on memory are less secure and more prone to loss or theft.
What measure helps protect accounts from brute-force login attempts?
Allowing unlimited retries.
Using simple passwords.
Account lockout after failed attempts.
Disabling multi-factor authentication.
Account lockout after a set number of failed login attempts prevents attackers from continuously trying different password combinations. This measure significantly slows down brute-force attacks by limiting guess attempts.
What does password entropy measure?
The method used to store the password.
The ease of remembering a password.
The unpredictability or randomness of a password.
The number of characters in a password.
Password entropy measures the unpredictability or randomness in a password, often expressed in bits. Higher entropy indicates a more secure password that is harder for attackers to guess or brute force.
Which of these passwords has the highest entropy?
LetMeIn123
iloveyou
Tr0ub4dour&3
xY7!qZ2$lP
A random string like 'xY7!qZ2$lP' has higher entropy because its characters are unpredictable and drawn from a large set. Passwords based on words or predictable patterns offer less randomness and are easier to guess.
What is a benefit of using a passphrase instead of a short complex password?
They are harder to remember.
They use less entropy.
They often provide more length and are easier to recall.
They are more vulnerable to dictionary attacks.
Passphrases are typically longer and can be easier to remember due to their meaningful word combinations. The increased length adds significant entropy, enhancing security compared to short complex passwords.
What is key stretching in password security?
Increasing hash iterations to slow attackers.
Storing keys in hardware modules.
Reducing the number of hash iterations.
Shortening password length.
Key stretching involves applying a hashing function multiple times to slow down attackers attempting to brute-force passwords. Increasing the computational cost makes it more time-consuming and expensive to crack each password.
Which practice helps prevent phishing-related password theft?
Clicking all links in emails.
Entering passwords on any login page.
Verifying the URL before entering passwords.
Sharing credentials via email.
Verifying the URL before entering your password ensures you are on a legitimate site and not a phishing page. This simple check helps prevent credential theft through deceptive emails or links.
Approximately how many bits of entropy does a 10-character password using a 94-character set provide?
About 10 bits.
About 50 bits.
About 94 bits.
About 65 bits.
Entropy is calculated as length multiplied by the log base 2 of the character set size. A 10-character password using 94 possible characters yields about 10 * 6.554 = 65.54 bits of entropy, approximately 65 bits.
Why is bcrypt preferred over MD5 for password hashing?
bcrypt adds a salt and is computationally expensive.
MD5 supports built-in salting.
MD5 is unbreakable.
bcrypt is faster than MD5.
bcrypt is specifically designed for password hashing and includes a configurable cost factor that makes hashing computationally expensive. It also incorporates a salt by default, making it more resistant to brute-force and rainbow table attacks than MD5.
What is the risk of storing user passwords in plaintext on a server?
Attackers only see hashed values.
Attackers see encrypted values.
Attackers can immediately read all passwords.
There is no risk if the server is secure.
Storing passwords in plaintext allows anyone who gains access to the server to read all user passwords directly. Proper security practices require storing only hashed (and salted) versions to protect user credentials.
According to modern guidelines, when should users be required to change their passwords?
At every login.
Every 30 days regardless of compromise.
Every year mandatory.
Only after evidence of compromise.
Modern guidelines recommend changing passwords only after evidence of compromise rather than on a fixed schedule. Frequent forced rotations can lead to predictable password patterns and reduced overall security.
What characteristic of a salt ensures its effectiveness in securing password hashes?
It must be short and fixed.
It must be the same for all users.
It must be kept secret from the server.
It must be unique and randomly generated.
An effective salt must be unique for each password and generated with a cryptographically secure random generator. This uniqueness ensures attackers cannot use precomputed tables to reverse or match hashes across different users.
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Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyze common password attack methods and associated risks.
  2. Identify best practices for creating strong, unique passwords.
  3. Apply effective strategies for secure password management.
  4. Evaluate password strength using established security criteria.
  5. Demonstrate understanding of multi-factor authentication benefits.
  6. Master techniques for updating and storing passwords safely.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Understand Password Attack Methods - Hackers can use brute-force tactics, trying every possible combination, or dictionary attacks, which pick common words or phrases from a list. Knowing these sneaky strategies helps you design passwords that make their jobs much harder and slower. Wikipedia: Brute-force attack
  2. Create Strong, Unpredictable Passwords - Mix uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols to craft a password that's tough to crack and easy for you to remember. Avoid birthdays, pet names, or any info that could appear on your social feed. Strong password best practices
  3. Use Unique Passwords for Every Account - Reusing the same password is like carrying one key that opens all your doors - if someone gets hold of it, they've got the lot. Make each password distinct so a breach on one site can't spread to your other accounts. CMU password management guidelines
  4. Update Your Passwords Regularly - Even the best passwords can be compromised over time, so set a reminder to change them periodically. Frequent updates keep you one step ahead of any potential leaks and give attackers a constantly moving target. Password update tips
  5. Leverage a Password Manager - Password managers generate and store complex credentials for you, so you don't have to memorize dozens of strings of characters. They guard your vault with one strong master password, making your digital life both easier and more secure. UA password security guide
  6. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) - Adding a second factor - like a text code or authentication app - creates a security double-lock on your account. Even if someone guesses your password, they still can't get in without that extra verification step. Fortinet MFA advice
  7. Stay Alert for Phishing Attempts - Scammers craft emails or fake websites to trick you into handing over your credentials. Always double-check sender addresses and avoid clicking links in unsolicited messages to keep your passwords safe. Norton on phishing threats
  8. Don't Write Passwords on Sticky Notes - Jotting passwords down on paper or storing them in an easy-to-find file is an open invitation to hackers. Keep your secrets locked away in a digital vault instead of slipping them under your keyboard. Vanderbilt password management tips
  9. Keep Learning About Password Security - Cyber-threats evolve all the time, so stay curious and informed about new best practices. A little reading and research can go a long way toward keeping your personal data locked down. Stackscale password best practices
  10. Beware the Dangers of Password Reuse - If one site suffers a data breach and you used that same password elsewhere, hackers get instant access to all your accounts. Create fresh credentials everywhere to stop a single hack from turning into a full-scale takeover. CMU password management guidelines
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