A Security Administrator's Dilemma: Understanding Security Properties

What security property did the administrator implement with their approach to protecting system passwords?

A. Confidentiality

B. Integrity

C. Availability

D. Non-repudiation

E. Hash Collision Resistance

Final answer:

The security property that the administrator implemented is Hash Collision Resistance, which means that two different passwords could produce the same hash value and be cracked by an attacker.

The security administrator faced a dilemma in protecting system passwords by hashing their related keys. Upon discovery that this approach did not enhance the level of difficulty for an attacker to crack the key, it becomes crucial to analyze the different security properties involved.

The security property that the administrator implemented is Hash Collision Resistance. Hashing passwords involves transforming them into a fixed-length string of characters, making it challenging for an attacker to reverse engineer the original password. However, if the hash function used lacks resistance to hash collisions, different passwords may produce the same hash value, enabling an attacker to crack the password by discovering another password that generates the same hash.

Understanding security properties such as Hash Collision Resistance is essential in designing robust security measures to safeguard sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access.