The process of locking a user's account after predefined failed attempts to logon.

• A. Account Lockout
• B. Account Operator
• C. Account Policy
• D. Active Desktop

Answer: (A)

Locking a user’s account after a set number of failed logon attempts is a security control known as account lockout. This mechanism helps defend against brute-force guessing by temporarily disabling access once the threshold of consecutive failures is reached. The policy defines how many failed attempts trigger the lock, how long the lock lasts, and how an account can be unlocked, either automatically after a timer or by an administrator. This is a specific feature within the broader concept of account policies, which cover many rules for accounts, including password requirements and other restrictions. The other options describe different concepts: an Account Operator is a privileged role that can manage accounts, Account Policy refers to the overall rules governing accounts (including, but not limited to, lockouts), and Active Desktop is unrelated to account security.