easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CAS-004 Practice Question: Is designing a secure communication channel…
A security engineer is designing a secure communication channel between two internal systems over an untrusted network. Which protocol should be used to ensure both confidentiality and integrity of data in transit?
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
✓
TLS
TLS provides encryption for confidentiality and MAC for integrity, making it the best choice for secure communication over an untrusted network.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
SSH
Why it's wrong here
SSH is used for secure remote administration, not typically for system-to-system communication channels.
- ✓
TLS
Why this is correct
TLS provides encryption (confidentiality) and MAC (integrity), suitable for any TCP-based communication.
- ✗
HTTPS
Why it's wrong here
HTTPS is HTTP over TLS, but the question does not specify web traffic; TLS is the underlying protocol.
- ✗
IPsec
Why it's wrong here
IPsec operates at the network layer, securing entire IP packets, which can be overly broad for securing specific application-level data streams between internal systems without requiring network infrastructure changes. It is tempting because IPsec fundamentally provides robust confidentiality and integrity for network traffic, making it the correct choice for establishing secure virtual private networks (VPNs) between networks or remote access, where securing the entire network communication path is the primary goal.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 968 original CAS-005 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CAS-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 CAS-005 exam.