easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
350-701 Practice Question: Deploy a site-to-site VPN between two branch…
A company wants to deploy a site-to-site VPN between two branch offices using Cisco IOS routers. The security policy requires that all traffic between the sites must be encrypted and authenticated using strong encryption. The engineer chooses IPsec with IKEv2. Which IPsec transform set configuration provides the strongest encryption and authentication?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between ESP-SHA-HMAC (which implies SHA-1) and ESP-SHA256-HMAC (which implies SHA-256), leading candidates to mistakenly choose the weaker SHA-1 option when 'strongest' is required.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
transform-set ESP-AES256 ESP-SHA256-HMAC
It specifies AES-256 encryption, which is the strongest symmetric cipher available in IPsec transform sets, combined with ESP-SHA256-HMAC for integrity and authentication. IKEv2 supports these modern algorithms, and this configuration meets the requirement for strong encryption and authentication.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
transform-set ESP-AES128 ESP-SHA-HMAC
Why it's wrong here
AES-128 is strong, but SHA-1 is weak; the strongest would use AES-256 and SHA-256.
- ✓
transform-set ESP-AES256 ESP-SHA256-HMAC
Why this is correct
AES-256 and SHA-256 provide strong encryption and authentication.
- ✗
transform-set ESP-DES ESP-MD5-HMAC
Why it's wrong here
DES and MD5 are considered weak and deprecated.
- ✗
transform-set ESP-3DES ESP-SHA-HMAC
Why it's wrong here
3DES is being phased out, and SHA-1 is weak.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-701 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-701 exam.