Which of the following statements about passwords is not true?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Passwords are an example of the "something you know" factor used to authenticate a user: when a user supplies a correct password that matches the stored credential, the system establishes identity authentication (though often only single-factor and therefore less robust than multi-factor).

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts:
- Authentication factors: something you know (password), something you have (token), something you are (biometrics).
- Password limitations: susceptible to theft, social engineering, network interception, and user behavior issues.
- Usability-security tradeoff: overly strict policies can reduce productivity or prompt insecure workarounds.

2) Step-by-step reasoning through each option:
- "Authentication cannot be established by the use of a password." This statement contradicts the fundamental role of passwords. A password, when correctly verified against stored credentials, does establish authentication (verifies identity). It may be weaker than multi-factor methods, but it still provides authentication. Therefore this statement is not true.
- "Password systems that are too rigorous may hinder employee productivity." True: very frequent forced changes, excessive complexity, or onerous rules can slow work and push users to insecure practices (e.g., writing passwords down).
- "Passwords can be stolen through social engineering." True: attackers can trick users into revealing passwords via phishing, pretexting, or phone scams.
- "Passwords are often disregarded by employees." True in practice: users may reuse weak passwords, ignore policies, or bypass protections, making passwords less effective.
- "Passwords can be sniffed when being transmitted over a network." True when communications are unencrypted; network traffic can be captured by attackers unless protected by TLS/SSH/etc.

3) Intermediate steps: compare each option to established facts about authentication and typical vulnerabilities. Only the first option directly contradicts the primary function of passwords.

4) Why the correct answer is correct:
The first option asserts that passwords cannot establish authentication. That is false because password verification is a standard method to authenticate users (albeit imperfect).

5) Why other options are incorrect as answers here:
They are accurate statements about password-related issues, so they are true and therefore not the "not true" choice.

Conclusion: The statement "Authentication cannot be established by the use of a password." is not true, matching the provided answer.

Which of the following statements about passwords is not true? 单项选择题

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