CompTIA Cloud+ Practice Test

Which option describes a protocol used for secure communication over a network, especially for websites?

1. IPsec

2. SSH

3. TLS

4. FTP

The correct answer is: TLS

The selection of TLS as the correct protocol for secure communication over a network, particularly for websites, is well-founded. TLS, which stands for Transport Layer Security, is a cryptographic protocol explicitly designed to provide secure communication over a computer network. It is widely implemented in web servers and browsers to encrypt data transmitted between them, ensuring that sensitive information like login credentials and payment details remain private and protected from eavesdropping or tampering. When a user accesses a secure website, the connection typically begins with a handshake process where the client and server establish encryption parameters. This is what allows users to see "HTTPS" in the URL, indicating that the page is transmitted securely using TLS. The robust security features of TLS, which include encryption, authentication, and data integrity checks, make it the go-to protocol for ensuring safe data exchanges on the internet. In comparison, while IPsec also provides secure communication, it primarily operates at the network layer and is often used for securing VPN connections rather than web traffic. SSH is a secure shell protocol typically employed for accessing servers remotely, rather than encrypting web communications. FTP is a protocol for transferring files but does not inherently provide secure transmission unless paired with another protocol like FTPS or SFTP. Therefore, TLS stands