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SSCP Practice Question: A company's security policy requires that…
A company's security policy requires that employees must change their passwords every 60 days. However, help desk tickets show that many users are locked out after forgetting their new passwords. Which of the following would BEST balance security and usability?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often choose to extend the password change interval (Option B) thinking it reduces user burden, but the SSCP exam emphasizes that usability improvements must not weaken security controls like password rotation frequency or account lockout policies.
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
✓
Implement single sign-on (SSO) for all applications
Single sign-on (SSO) reduces the number of passwords users must remember to one set of credentials, which decreases the likelihood of forgotten passwords and lockouts. By centralizing authentication, SSO allows the organization to enforce a strong password policy (e.g., 60-day rotation) while improving usability, as users only need to manage a single password. This balances security (centralized control, stronger authentication) with usability (fewer password resets).
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Require users to use a password manager
Why it's wrong here
Password managers help but do not reduce the number of logins; users may still forget one password.
- ✗
Extend the password change interval to 90 days
Why it's wrong here
Less frequent changes reduce security strength.
- ✗
Disable account lockout after failed attempts
Why it's wrong here
Disabling lockout reduces security by allowing brute-force attacks.
- ✓
Implement single sign-on (SSO) for all applications
Why this is correct
SSO reduces password fatigue and thus forgotten passwords.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SSCP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 SSCP exam.