ITPEC IP October 2022 Question 40

Source exam: ITPEC IP October 2022Topic: Security

ITPEC IP October 2022 — Question 40 of 100

The maximum brute-force search grows by a factor of 676. With 26 possible characters at each independent position, four characters give 26⁴ combinations and six give 26⁶. Their ratio is 26⁶ ÷ 26⁴ = 26² = 676.

Answer (d)

Why not others:
- 2 counts only the two added positions

- 24 and 52 add or multiply lengths without accounting for every character choice

Key rule: A password of length n over an alphabet of size k has kⁿ combinations; each added character multiplies the search space by k.

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