XK0-006 Security Practice Question
An administrator wants to harden SSH access by implementing the following: disallow root login, disable password authentication, and limit the number of authentication attempts. Which three configuration directives should be set in /etc/ssh/sshd_config? (Choose THREE.)
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
✓
PermitRootLogin no
PermitRootLogin no, PasswordAuthentication no, and MaxAuthTries limit attempts.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
PermitRootLogin no
Why this is correct
Disallows root login via SSH.
- ✗
Port 22
Why it's wrong here
Default port, not a hardening measure.
- ✗
PermitEmptyPasswords no
Why it's wrong here
While good practice, not one of the three requested.
- ✓
PasswordAuthentication no
Why this is correct
Disables password authentication.
- ✓
MaxAuthTries 3
Why this is correct
Limits authentication attempts.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 979 original XK0-006 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.