Which of the following security benefits would be gained by disabling a terminated user account rather than deleting it?

Question

Options

• ARetention of user keys
• BIncreased logging on access attempts
• CRetention of user directories and files
• DAccess to quarantined files

• A
  80% (20)
• B
  4% (1)
• C
  12% (3)
• D
  4% (1)

Explanation

The critical benefit of disabling rather than deleting a terminated user account is the retention of the user's cryptographic keys (Option A). If a user encrypted files or emails using their private key, that data becomes permanently inaccessible if the account and its associated keys are deleted. By disabling the account, the keys are preserved and can be used (via key escrow or recovery procedures) to decrypt any data the user had protected. Logging (Option B) does not increase on a disabled account. File retention (Option C) is typically a filesystem/backup concern unrelated to account status. Quarantined files (Option D) are unrelated to account disabling. Key retention is the primary forensic and business continuity reason to disable rather than delete.

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