ISC2 CC Access Controls Concepts Practice Question
A system administrator is configuring account lockout policies to mitigate brute-force attacks. Which TWO settings are most critical for this purpose?
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
✓
Account lockout threshold (e.g., 5 failed attempts)
Account lockout policies typically include an attempt threshold (e.g., 3-10 failed attempts) and a lockout duration or manual unlock requirement to prevent continuous brute-force attempts. These settings directly limit an attacker's ability to guess passwords.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Requiring password changes every 90 days
Why it's wrong here
Frequent changes are not recommended by NIST and don't directly stop brute-force.
- ✓
Account lockout threshold (e.g., 5 failed attempts)
Why this is correct
Threshold triggers lockout after a set number of failures.
- ✓
Lockout duration (e.g., 30 minutes) or administrator unlock
Why this is correct
Duration or admin unlock prevents immediate further attempts.
- ✗
Password history of 10 remembered passwords
Why it's wrong here
Password history prevents reuse, not brute-force.
- ✗
Password minimum length of 8 characters
Why it's wrong here
Password length reduces likelihood of successful brute-force but is not a lockout setting.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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