Quick Answer
The answer is enforcing password complexity requirements and implementing account lockout policies. These are considered best practices because complexity requirements force users to create passwords with a mix of character types, making them harder to crack through brute force or dictionary attacks, while account lockout thresholds temporarily disable access after a set number of failed attempts, thwarting automated guessing tools. On the Systems Security Certified Practitioner SSCP exam, this topic appears in the Access Controls domain, often testing your ability to distinguish between proactive defenses like complexity and reactive controls like lockout, with a common trap being the conflation of password history or length with complexity itself. Remember the mnemonic “CLOCK” for Complexity and Lockout are the Core defenses, while plaintext storage and password reuse are the cardinal sins.
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of access controls. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Which TWO of the following are best practices for password management?
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.
Implement account lockout after a few failed attempts
Lockout mitigates brute-force attacks.
Allow reuse of the last 5 passwords
Why wrong: Reuse undermines security.
Store passwords in plaintext for quick recovery
Why wrong: Plaintext storage is a security risk.
Share passwords via email for convenience
Why wrong: Email is insecure.
Enforce password complexity requirements
Complexity makes passwords harder to guess.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Implement account lockout after a few failed attempts
Password complexity and account lockout are standard best practices. Storing passwords in plaintext and reusing passwords are poor practices.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Implement account lockout after a few failed attempts
Why this is correct
Lockout mitigates brute-force attacks.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Allow reuse of the last 5 passwords
Why it's wrong here
Reuse undermines security.
Store passwords in plaintext for quick recovery
Why it's wrong here
Plaintext storage is a security risk.
Share passwords via email for convenience
Why it's wrong here
Email is insecure.
Enforce password complexity requirements
Why this is correct
Complexity makes passwords harder to guess.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
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.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Identify which SSCP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Access Controls — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Access Controls — This question tests Access Controls — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Implement account lockout after a few failed attempts — Password complexity and account lockout are standard best practices. Storing passwords in plaintext and reusing passwords are poor practices.
Identify which SSCP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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