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220-1102 Practice Question: A technician discovers that a user has been…

A technician discovers that a user has been sharing their login credentials with coworkers to allow them to access a shared drive. The company's security policy prohibits password sharing. What is the most effective way to prevent this behavior while still allowing necessary access?

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.

Correct answer & explanation

Configure the shared drive permissions using security groups and add the coworkers to the appropriate group.

The root cause is that the shared drive access is tied to individual accounts, encouraging sharing. Implementing group-based permissions with proper access control lists (ACLs) allows the company to grant access to a group rather than an individual, eliminating the need to share passwords. Additionally, enforcing a policy of non-repudiation and using audit logs can deter sharing.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • Disable the user's account and create a generic shared account for the drive.

    Why it's wrong here

    Creating a generic shared account is a significant security vulnerability. It eliminates individual accountability, making it impossible to audit who performed specific actions on the shared drive, as all activity appears to originate from the same generic user. This practice also violates the principle of least privilege and encourages further insecure sharing behaviors, undermining the organization's security posture.

  • Implement a Group Policy that forces password changes every 30 days.

    Why it's wrong here

    While frequent password changes are a common security practice, implementing a Group Policy for 30-day password changes does not directly resolve the issue of unauthorized password sharing for shared drive access. Users may still share passwords, or it could even exacerbate the problem by making legitimate access more cumbersome, prompting users to seek workarounds rather than addressing the fundamental need for proper access provisioning. This approach fails to provide a secure, auditable method for collaborative work.

  • Configure the shared drive permissions using security groups and add the coworkers to the appropriate group.

    Why this is correct

    Configuring shared drive permissions using security groups is the most appropriate and secure solution. This method allows the technician to grant specific access levels (e.g., read, write) to defined groups of users, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access the drive without sharing individual credentials. It enforces the principle of least privilege, maintains individual accountability for actions, and simplifies management by centralizing access control, directly addressing the need for shared access securely.

  • Send a company-wide email reminding users not to share passwords.

    Why it's wrong here

    Sending a company-wide email is a reactive and largely ineffective measure to prevent unauthorized password sharing in the long term. While user education on security policies is crucial, it does not provide a technical control to prevent the behavior or address the underlying operational need that led to the sharing. Without implementing proper access management solutions, users will likely continue to find workarounds, rendering the email reminder insufficient to secure shared resources.

Visual reference

Source Router + ACL permit 10.0.0.0/8 deny any Server 10.0.0.5 ✓ 192.168.1.1 ✗ dropped ACLs evaluate top-down; first match wins — implicit deny all at end

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JA

Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security

Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva

This 220-1202 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1202 exam.