Which character in the password field of /etc/passwd is used to indicate that the encrypted password is stored in /etc/shadow?

An asterisk `*` in the password field of `/etc/passwd` typically indicates that the account is locked or disabled, not that the password is in `/etc/shadow`.

A hyphen `-` is not a standard character used in this context to indicate shadow passwords.

The letter `s` is not used in the password field to denote shadow passwords.

When a Linux system uses shadow passwords, the password field in `/etc/passwd` (which is publicly readable) contains an `x` as a placeholder. This `x` signifies that the real, encrypted password hash is securely stored in the `/etc/shadow` file, which has restricted permissions (only readable by root). This separation prevents unauthorized users from accessing password hashes, enhancing system security.