Which command would set an encrypted enable secret password?

Which command would set an encrypted enable secret password?

• A. enable password secret
• B. enable secret Secret_Password
• C. password secret
• D. service password-encryption

Answer: (B)

Setting a privileged-mode password in a way that is protected in the configuration uses a one-way hash, so the actual password isn’t stored in readable form. The correct command to establish an encrypted enable secret password is enable secret <password>. This creates the secret for privileged exec access and stores it as a hashed value in the startup/running configuration, providing stronger security than a plain or reversibly encrypted password. The other options don’t achieve this: enable password sets a privileged-mode password but is stored in plaintext (or in weakly encrypted form if you’ve enabled a separate encryption feature); service password-encryption only encrypts existing plaintext passwords in the config and doesn’t create an enable secret; the option that looks like a password directive isn’t valid syntax and won’t set the enable secret at all.

Setting a privileged-mode password in a way that is protected in the configuration uses a one-way hash, so the actual password isn’t stored in readable form. The correct command to establish an encrypted enable secret password is enable secret . This creates the secret for privileged exec access and stores it as a hashed value in the startup/running configuration, providing stronger security than a plain or reversibly encrypted password.

The other options don’t achieve this: enable password sets a privileged-mode password but is stored in plaintext (or in weakly encrypted form if you’ve enabled a separate encryption feature); service password-encryption only encrypts existing plaintext passwords in the config and doesn’t create an enable secret; the option that looks like a password directive isn’t valid syntax and won’t set the enable secret at all.