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FC0-U71 Practice Question: Which TWO of the following are best practices for…
Which TWO of the following are best practices for creating strong passwords?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates think 'easily remembered' passwords are acceptable for convenience, but CompTIA emphasizes that security must override memorability, and personal information is a common target for attackers using OSINT (Open Source Intelligence).
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
✓
Avoid using dictionary words or common phrases
Options B and D are correct. Option B is correct because strong passwords should avoid dictionary words or common phrases, as these are vulnerable to dictionary attacks where attackers use precomputed lists of common words and phrases to crack passwords. Option D is correct because including a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols increases the password's entropy, making it much harder for attackers to guess or crack using brute-force methods. Using such patterns significantly reduces the vulnerability to both dictionary and brute-force attacks.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use a common pattern like 'password123'
Why it's wrong here
Common patterns are easily guessed.
- ✓
Avoid using dictionary words or common phrases
Why this is correct
Dictionary words are vulnerable to dictionary attacks.
- ✗
Use easily remembered personal information like birth dates
Why it's wrong here
Personal information can be guessed or obtained.
- ✓
Include a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
Why this is correct
Complexity makes passwords harder to crack.
- ✗
Write the password on a sticky note and attach it to the monitor
Why it's wrong here
Writing down passwords compromises security.
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About these practice questions
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This FC0-U71 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 FC0-U71 exam.