The first step toward securing the resources of a local-area network (LAN) is to verify the identities of system users. Organizations should consider which of the following prior to connecting their LANs to outside networks, particularly the Internet? 1. Plan for implementing locking mechanisms. 2. Plan for protecting the modem pools. 3. Plan for considering all authentication options. 4. Plan for providing the user with his account usage information. Solution c. The best thing is to consider all authentication options, not just using the traditional method of passwords. Proper password selection (striking a balance between being easy to remember for the user but difficult to guess for everyone else) has always been an issue..