Network Defense Essentials (NDE) Practice Exam 2026 - Free Network Defense Practice Questions and Study Guide

The correct answer highlights the most straightforward and widely used method of authentication, which is reliant on a combination of a username and a password. This approach serves as a fundamental layer of security, where the username identifies the user and the password serves as a secret key. Users are typically prompted to enter these credentials when attempting to access accounts or systems, making it a prevalent method across various platforms.

Password authentication allows organizations to verify the identity of a user before granting access to sensitive information or resources. The effectiveness of this method depends on how securely the password is managed. Strong passwords and practices like regular updates, avoiding easily guessable passwords, and utilizing password complexity rules further enhance security when using this method.

While other authentication methods like token, biometric, or smart card authentication enhance security in different ways, they do not primarily rely on a username-password combination. Instead, they focus on factors such as physical tokens, unique biological traits, or cryptographic cards, thereby employing different mechanisms to verify identity.