Question 1easymultiple choice
Full question →easymultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A security team stores employee passwords in a database. Which method best protects the passwords if the database is stolen?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Store the passwords in plain text so users can recover them easily.
Plain text storage offers no protection if the database is exposed. Passwords should never be stored in a readable form.
B
Best answer
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
Distractor review
Encrypt the passwords and keep the decryption key in the same database.
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
Distractor review
Compress the passwords before storing them to make them smaller.
Compression reduces size, not exposure. It does nothing to prevent an attacker from reading or cracking the data after theft.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A laptop is suspected of being used in a malware incident. It is still powered on and connected to Wi-Fi. What should the responder do before shutting it down?
Question 2
An employee reports a ransomware note on a file server. The server is still powered on, shares are still being accessed, and management wants service restored as quickly as possible. What should the incident response team do first?
Question 3
An employee reports a ransomware note on a finance laptop. The laptop is still powered on, connected to Wi-Fi, and the user says they were just working in a spreadsheet. Management wants the fastest safe response that also preserves evidence. What should the responder do first?
Question 4
You are handed a company laptop suspected in an insider theft case. Legal says the evidence may be needed in court. Which action best preserves admissibility?
Question 5
A developer wants to reduce the risk of SQL injection in a new customer search form. Which two changes are the best mitigations? Select two.
Question 6
A branch office uses a flat LAN, and a compromise on one user workstation could spread quickly to finance systems. Management wants finance workstations isolated from general users, but finance staff still need access to a central finance application and network printer. What is the best design change?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
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. — Hashing with a unique salt is the best choice for password storage because it protects against direct disclosure and makes large-scale cracking harder. Salts ensure that identical passwords do not produce identical stored values, which also weakens rainbow-table attacks. This is why modern password storage uses salted hashes rather than plain text or reversible encryption. Why others are wrong: Plain text is completely unprotected. Encryption is reversible, so it is not ideal for password storage when the key could also be exposed. Compression has no security benefit and only changes file size. Passwords should be transformed with a one-way hashing approach and a unique salt for each account.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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