easyMultiple Choice
SSCP Ensure that users cannot share passwords Practice Question
An administrator wants to ensure that users cannot share passwords. Which control is most effective at reducing the risk of password sharing?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often choose password complexity or account lockout policies because they associate them with 'stronger security,' but they fail to recognize that these controls do not address the specific threat of voluntary password sharing, which MFA directly mitigates by adding an independent authentication factor.
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
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Multifactor authentication
Multifactor authentication (MFA) is the most effective control because it requires users to present two or more distinct factors (e.g., something you know, something you have, something you are) to authenticate. Even if a user shares their password (something you know), an attacker cannot authenticate without the second factor (e.g., a one-time passcode from a hardware token or biometric). This directly reduces the risk of password sharing by making the shared credential insufficient for access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Account lockout policies
Why it's wrong here
Lockout thresholds trigger on failed authentication attempts, so a colleague who already knows the password signs in successfully and never trips them. Lockout is designed to blunt brute-force and credential-stuffing attacks; it would be the right control when the risk is repeated guessing, not voluntary sharing.
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Multifactor authentication
Why this is correct
Multifactor authentication reduces password sharing because a stolen or shared password alone no longer grants access; the second factor, such as a push notification or FIDO2 key, stays bound to the legitimate user's device. This directly satisfies the stem's constraint of preventing users from sharing credentials successfully.
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Password complexity
Why it's wrong here
Complexity rules constrain password format only; users can still disclose a compliant password to a colleague, so sharing risk is unchanged. Complexity is the right control against brute-force and dictionary guessing, not against deliberate credential sharing.
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Password history
Why it's wrong here
Password history only prevents a user from reusing their own previous passwords at change time; it records nothing about who types the credential. It is the right control when the requirement is stopping cyclic reuse of old passwords, not detecting concurrent use of one credential by several people.
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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.