Which term refers to user accounts that are not actively used or monitored?

Which term refers to user accounts that are not actively used or monitored?

• A. Awareness Campaigns
• B. Orphan Accounts
• C. Inactive Accounts
• D. Access Rights

Answer: (C)

Inactive accounts refer to user accounts that have not been used or monitored for a period. These idle accounts can pose security risks because credentials may remain valid even though there’s no active user overseeing them, making them tempting targets for unauthorized access or misuse. Regularly identifying and either disabling or decommissioning these accounts helps reduce potential attack surfaces and supports better lifecycle management. Awareness campaigns focus on security training, not the state of accounts. Orphan accounts are accounts with no owner or responsible user, not merely unused. Access rights describe the permissions granted to an account, not whether the account is actively used or monitored.

Inactive accounts refer to user accounts that have not been used or monitored for a period. These idle accounts can pose security risks because credentials may remain valid even though there’s no active user overseeing them, making them tempting targets for unauthorized access or misuse. Regularly identifying and either disabling or decommissioning these accounts helps reduce potential attack surfaces and supports better lifecycle management.

Awareness campaigns focus on security training, not the state of accounts. Orphan accounts are accounts with no owner or responsible user, not merely unused. Access rights describe the permissions granted to an account, not whether the account is actively used or monitored.