A penetration tester uses Hashcat to crack hashes discovered during a penetration test and obtains the following output:
ad09cd16529b5f5a40a3e15344e57649f4a43a267a97f008af01af803603c4c8 : Summer2023 !!
7945bb2bb08731fc8d57680ffa4aefec91c784d231de029c610b778eda5ef48b:p@ssWord123
ea88ceab69cb2fb8bdcf9ef4df884af219fffbffab473ec13f20326dc6f84d13: Love-You999
Which of the following is the best way to remediate the penetration tester's discovery?
The penetration tester's discovery of passwords vulnerable to hash cracking suggests a lack of robust password policies within the organization. Among the options provided, implementing a blocklist of known bad passwords is the most effective immediate remediation. This measure would prevent users from setting passwords that are easily guessable or commonly used, which are susceptible to hash cracking tools like Hashcat.
Requiring passwords to follow complexity rules (Option A) can be helpful, but attackers can still crack complex passwords if they are common or have been exposed in previous breaches. Setting a minimum password length (Option C) is a good practice, but length alone does not ensure a password's strength against hash cracking techniques. Encrypting passwords with a stronger algorithm (Option D) is a valid long-term strategy but would not prevent users from choosing weak passwords that could be easily guessed before hash cracking is even necessary.
Therefore, a blocklist addresses the specific vulnerability exposed by the penetration tester---users setting weak passwords that can be easily cracked. It's also worth noting that the best practice is a combination of strong, enforced password policies, user education, and the use of multi-factor authentication to enhance security further.
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