What is a potential security risk when organizations synchronize passwords or provide single sign-on across systems?

• A. Credentials reused across systems
• B. Improved security
• C. Password length increases
• D. No effect on risk

Answer: (A)

Centralizing authentication by synchronizing passwords or using single sign-on means the same credential unlocks access to many systems. When that credential is exposed—through a breach, phishing, or malware—the attacker can reuse it to access all connected services, expanding the impact across the environment. This reuse across systems creates a larger attack surface and a single point of failure: compromise of the identity provider or the shared credential grants access to multiple resources. The other options don’t reflect this widened risk: SSO can affect security posture, but it isn’t automatically an improvement; password length isn’t the primary issue here; and there is a real effect on risk.