WGU Network and Security Foundation Exam - Topic 2 Question 5 Discussion

Actual exam question for WGU's Network and Security Foundation exam

Question #: 5
Topic #: 2

[All Network and Security Foundation Questions]

A company's internal messaging system is being redesigned. The authentication procedures were so cumbersome that employees were using personal email to communicate.

What is the security principle implemented in this scenario?

AZero-trust model

BLeast common mechanism

CPsychological acceptability

DFail-safe

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: C

Psychological acceptability states that security measures should be user-friendly and not overly burdensome. If security controls are too complex, users may bypass them, leading to weaker security. In this case, employees used personal email because authentication procedures were too cumbersome.

Zero-trust model enforces strict access control, not usability.

Least common mechanism limits shared resources.

Fail-safe ensures secure failure handling, not usability.

by Janet at Nov 24, 2025, 02:24 AM

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Hana

10 hours ago

Surprised they were using personal emails! That’s a big security risk.

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Erasmo

6 days ago

I disagree, I think it’s more about A) Zero-trust model.

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Ligia

11 days ago

I'm just glad they're not using the classic "password123" for their internal messaging. Fail-safe is the way to go!

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Rasheeda

16 days ago

Haha, I bet the employees were using their dog's birthday as the password. Gotta love that psychological acceptability!

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Jame

21 days ago

B. Least common mechanism. The company should minimize the number of components or mechanisms required for authentication, reducing the attack surface and potential vulnerabilities.

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Matthew

26 days ago

A. Zero-trust model. The company needs to verify every user, device, and action, regardless of their location or network, to ensure the system is secure.

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An

1 month ago

D. Fail-safe seems like the best option here. If the authentication process is too complex, the system should fail in a way that doesn't compromise security, like locking out the user instead of allowing them to bypass it.

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Stephaine

1 month ago

I remember studying the zero-trust model, but that doesn’t seem to fit this scenario as well as psychological acceptability does.

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Gilbert

1 month ago

I'm not entirely sure, but I remember a practice question about user-friendly systems. Could it be psychological acceptability?

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Cordell

2 months ago

I think this might relate to the psychological acceptability principle since the old system was too complicated for users.

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Thurman

2 months ago

I think the answer here is C) Psychological acceptability. The cumbersome authentication procedures were causing employees to bypass the system, which goes against the principle of making security measures intuitive and user-friendly.

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Anissa

2 months ago

I'm a bit confused by this question. The scenario talks about a security issue, but the options seem to be about different security principles. I'll need to make sure I understand each principle before selecting an answer.

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Lourdes

2 months ago

I think it's C) Psychological acceptability. Employees need a system they can actually use.

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Anisha

2 months ago

Okay, let's see. The company's authentication procedures were so cumbersome that employees were using personal email instead. That sounds like the principle of psychological acceptability was not being followed. The system was not user-friendly, so employees found a workaround.

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Luther

2 months ago

Definitely C) Psychological acceptability. It’s all about making it user-friendly.

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Kattie

3 months ago

I feel like the least common mechanism could apply here too, but it seems more about user experience than security.

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Leanora

3 months ago

I think the answer is C. Psychological acceptability. The cumbersome authentication procedures were causing employees to use personal email, which is a security risk. The company needs to design a system that is user-friendly and acceptable to employees.

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Rose

3 months ago

Hmm, this is a tricky one. The question is asking about the security principle that was implemented, not violated. I'll need to carefully consider each option and how it relates to the situation described.

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Alaine

3 months ago

I think this is asking about the security principle that was violated by the employees using personal email. The options seem to point to different security principles, so I'll need to think through which one best fits the scenario.

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