When using secure authentication, which of the following are required?

Question

Options

• AA user name only
• BA user name and a password
• CNeither user name nor a password
• DA user name, a password and encryption of transmitted data

• A
  4% (2)
• C
  2% (1)
• D
  93% (43)

Explanation

Secure authentication requires three layers working together: a username to identify who you are, a password to verify that identity, and encryption to protect those credentials as they travel across the network - without all three, the process has a critical gap.

Why the distractors fail:

• A - A username alone only identifies you; anyone who knows your username could gain access without verification.
• B - A username and password authenticate you locally, but if transmitted in plaintext they can be intercepted (e.g., via a man-in-the-middle attack), making the credentials meaningless.
• C - No credentials at all means no authentication whatsoever - the opposite of secure.

Memory tip: Think of the acronym I-V-P - Identify (username), Verify (password), Protect (encryption). Secure authentication isn't complete until all three steps are covered; skipping encryption is like locking your door but sliding the key under it in plain sight.

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