Question

An information security officer is responsible for one secure network and one office network. Recent intelligence suggests there is an opportunity for attackers to gain access to the secure network due to similar login credentials across networks. To determine the users who should change their information, the information security officer uses a tool to scan a file with hashed values on both networks and receives the following data:

CorporateNetwork Password SecureNetwork Password
asHU8$1bg jbond asHU8$1bg
wit4njyt%! wit4njyt%!
mUrpHTIME7 d.murph3 t%w38T9)n
herbie.hancock hh2016!# hhanco hh2016!#2
1LI*#HFadf ssmith 1LI*#HFadf
Which of the following tools was used to gather this information from the hashed values in the file?

A. Vulnerability scanner
B. Fuzzer
C. MD5 generator
D. Password cracker
E. Protocol analyzer

Answer 1

The tool used by the information security officer to scan for matching hashed passwords across a secure and an office network is likely a password cracker, which helps identify accounts with similar or identical passwords on both networks, thereby posing a security threat. Option D is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

An information security officer is tasked with maintaining the security of two networks: a secure network and an office network. The officer, after receiving intelligence about potential vulnerabilities due to similar login credentials across networks, uses a specific tool to compare hashed passwords on both networks. The given data indicates that the same hashed values are present on both networks for certain user accounts, suggesting that identical or similar passwords are being used. Based on this information and the context of the question, where the officer is looking to find out which accounts have matching passwords, the tool used is most likely a password cracker. This type of tool is designed to reverse the hashing process to reveal the plain text passwords, or in this case, determine if the same hashed values are used across different systems, indicating a match in passwords.

Password crackers are an essential tool for an information security officer when assessing the strength of password policies and the potential risk of credential-based attacks. Their usage highlights the need for distinct and complex passwords for different systems, especially in a corporate environment where the compromise of one system can lead to the compromise of another if identical credentials are used.