- A
Store the passwords in plain text so users can recover them easily.
Why wrong: Plain text storage offers no protection if the database is exposed. Passwords should never be stored in a readable form.
- B
Hash the passwords with a unique salt for each account.
Hashing with a unique salt makes password data much harder to reuse or crack at scale. If the database is stolen, the attacker cannot directly read the passwords, and identical passwords will not produce the same stored value when salts differ.
- C
Encrypt the passwords and keep the decryption key in the same database.
Why wrong: Encryption can be reversed with the key, so storing the key with the database greatly reduces protection. Password storage should be designed so the original value is not easily recovered.
- D
Compress the passwords before storing them to make them smaller.
Why wrong: Compression reduces size, not exposure. It does nothing to prevent an attacker from reading or cracking the data after theft.
SY0-701 General Security Concepts Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of general security concepts. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A security team stores employee passwords in a database. Which method best protects the passwords if the database is stolen?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Hash the passwords with a unique salt for each account.
Option B is correct because hashing with a unique salt per account ensures that even if two users have the same password, their hashes will differ, and precomputed rainbow table attacks are rendered ineffective. The salt is stored alongside the hash, but the one-way nature of the hash function means an attacker cannot reverse the hash to recover the original password without performing an expensive brute-force search for each salted hash individually.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Store the passwords in plain text so users can recover them easily.
Why it's wrong here
Plain text storage offers no protection if the database is exposed. Passwords should never be stored in a readable form.
- ✓
Hash the passwords with a unique salt for each account.
Why this is correct
Hashing with a unique salt makes password data much harder to reuse or crack at scale. If the database is stolen, the attacker cannot directly read the passwords, and identical passwords will not produce the same stored value when salts differ.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Encrypt the passwords and keep the decryption key in the same database.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption can be reversed with the key, so storing the key with the database greatly reduces protection. Password storage should be designed so the original value is not easily recovered.
- ✗
Compress the passwords before storing them to make them smaller.
Why it's wrong here
Compression reduces size, not exposure. It does nothing to prevent an attacker from reading or cracking the data after theft.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse encryption with hashing, thinking that encrypting passwords is sufficient, but they overlook that reversible encryption with the key stored alongside the data provides no real protection in a database theft scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A strong password hashing algorithm like bcrypt, PBKDF2, or Argon2 is recommended because they are deliberately slow and include a cost factor to increase the computational effort required per guess. The salt should be a cryptographically random value of at least 16 bytes, and the hash output should be stored in a format that includes the salt and algorithm parameters (e.g., the modular crypt format used by bcrypt: $2b$10$[salt][hash]). In a real-world breach, even with salted hashes, attackers will attempt to crack weak or common passwords using GPU-accelerated brute-force or dictionary attacks, so enforcing strong password policies is also critical.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
General Security Concepts — This question tests General Security Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Hash the passwords with a unique salt for each account. — Option B is correct because hashing with a unique salt per account ensures that even if two users have the same password, their hashes will differ, and precomputed rainbow table attacks are rendered ineffective. The salt is stored alongside the hash, but the one-way nature of the hash function means an attacker cannot reverse the hash to recover the original password without performing an expensive brute-force search for each salted hash individually.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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