The BEST method to mitigate the risk of a dictionary attack on a system is to

Question

Options

• Ause a hardware token.
• Buse complex passphrases.
• Cimplement password history.
• Dencrypt the access control list (ACL).

• A
  67% (39)
• B
  5% (3)
• C
  10% (6)
• D
  17% (10)

Explanation

A hardware token defeats dictionary attacks at the architectural level - even if an attacker successfully guesses the correct password, they cannot authenticate without possessing the physical token, rendering the attack useless. This is the only option that eliminates the threat rather than just reducing it.

Why the others fall short:

• B (complex passphrases): Harder to crack, but modern dictionary attacks include phrase variations and common substitutions - this reduces risk, not eliminates it.
• C (password history): Prevents password reuse, which is good hygiene, but does nothing to stop an attacker actively guessing your current password.
• D (encrypt the ACL): Protects access control lists from tampering/exposure - completely unrelated to password-guessing attacks.

Memory tip: Think "dictionary attack = attack on something you know." The only reliable counter is adding something you have (hardware token), which shifts from single-factor to multi-factor authentication. If the question involves defeating a knowledge-based attack, MFA/hardware tokens almost always win.

No community discussion yet for this question.