This N10-009 practice question tests your understanding of network operations. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A network administrator needs to monitor network devices using SNMP. The security policy requires that both authentication and data encryption must be enforced for all SNMP operations. Which SNMPv3 security level should be configured?
authPriv
Correct. authPriv provides both authentication (HMAC-MD5 or HMAC-SHA) and encryption (CBC-DES or CFB-AES).
noAuthNoPriv
Why wrong: This level provides no security, which does not meet the requirement.
authNoPriv
Why wrong: This level provides authentication but no encryption, so data is sent in the clear.
noAuthPriv
Why wrong: This is not a valid SNMPv3 security level; the three levels are as above.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
authPriv
The authPriv security level is correct because it enforces both authentication (via HMAC-MD5 or HMAC-SHA) and data encryption (via DES or AES) for SNMPv3 operations, satisfying the security policy requirement. SNMPv3 defines three security levels: noAuthNoPriv, authNoPriv, and authPriv, with authPriv being the only one that provides both authentication and encryption.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
authPriv
Why this is correct
Correct. authPriv provides both authentication (HMAC-MD5 or HMAC-SHA) and encryption (CBC-DES or CFB-AES).
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
noAuthNoPriv
Why it's wrong here
This level provides no security, which does not meet the requirement.
authNoPriv
Why it's wrong here
This level provides authentication but no encryption, so data is sent in the clear.
noAuthPriv
Why it's wrong here
This is not a valid SNMPv3 security level; the three levels are as above.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'authNoPriv' as sufficient because they think authentication alone meets security requirements, or they invent 'noAuthPriv' as a plausible-sounding option, but SNMPv3 strictly requires authentication before encryption can be applied.
Detailed technical explanation
SNMPv3 security levels are defined in RFC 3414, with authPriv using the User-based Security Model (USM) to authenticate packets via HMAC and encrypt the payload using CBC-DES or CFB-AES. In practice, if you configure authPriv but the manager and agent do not share the same privacy protocol (e.g., one uses DES and the other AES), communication fails silently, a common misconfiguration in multi-vendor environments.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the N10-009 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Network Operations — This question tests Network Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: authPriv — The authPriv security level is correct because it enforces both authentication (via HMAC-MD5 or HMAC-SHA) and data encryption (via DES or AES) for SNMPv3 operations, satisfying the security policy requirement. SNMPv3 defines three security levels: noAuthNoPriv, authNoPriv, and authPriv, with authPriv being the only one that provides both authentication and encryption.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This N10-009 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 N10-009 exam.
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