CompTIA Network+ Practice Test

Which protocol is primarily responsible for providing secure communication over a network using IP-based encryptions?

1. Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS)

2. Internet Protocol Security (IPsec)

3. Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

4. File Transfer Protocol Secure (FTPS)

The correct answer is: Internet Protocol Security (IPsec)

The protocol that is primarily responsible for providing secure communication over a network using IP-based encryptions is Internet Protocol Security, known as IPsec. This suite of protocols operates at the network layer and is designed to secure Internet Protocol (IP) communications by authenticating and encrypting each IP packet in a communication session. It is utilized widely in virtual private networks (VPNs) and is crucial for ensuring privacy and data integrity over potentially insecure networks like the internet. IPsec can operate in two modes: transport mode, which encrypts only the data portion of each packet, and tunnel mode, which encrypts the entire IP packet. This flexibility allows for securing end-to-end communications or creating secure tunnels between networks. In contrast, Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) is primarily used for secure communication over the web, operating at the application layer. It uses a combination of HTTP and SSL/TLS but is not solely focused on IP-layer encryption. Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is used for managing devices on IP networks and does not provide encryption for data in transit by itself. File Transfer Protocol Secure (FTPS) works to secure file transfer but operates at the application layer and is not responsible for general IP-based encryption. Each of the