XK0-006 Security Practice Question
An administrator wants to enforce an account lockout policy after five failed login attempts on a Linux system. Which PAM module should be added to the authentication stack?
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
✓
pam_faillock.so
pam_faillock is used for account lockout after failed attempts. pam_unix handles authentication, pam_pwquality checks password strength, pam_tally2 is an older module.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
pam_faillock.so
Why this is correct
pam_faillock locks accounts after a defined number of failures.
- ✗
pam_unix.so
Why it's wrong here
pam_unix performs standard authentication, does not lock accounts.
- ✗
pam_pwquality.so
Why it's wrong here
pam_pwquality enforces password complexity, not lockout.
- ✗
pam_tally2.so
Why it's wrong here
pam_tally2 is an older module for lockout, but pam_faillock is the modern choice.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Linux Fundamentals and History
Key term
Linux
Linux is an open-source operating system that manages computer hardware and software, widely used in servers, desktops, and embedded systems.
Key term
PAM
Privileged Access Management (PAM) is a security framework that controls, monitors, and audits access to critical systems and accounts with elevated permissions.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This XK0-006 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 XK0-006 exam.