CEH Network and Web Application Attacks Practice Question
A network administrator wants to prevent an attacker from using a network sniffer to capture traffic between a client and a web server. Which protocol should be enforced to encrypt all communication?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse encryption with authentication or assume that any protocol with 'secure' in its name (like SNMPv3) is suitable for web traffic, when the question specifically requires a protocol that encrypts client-to-web-server communication — only HTTPS directly fulfills that role.
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
✓
HTTPS
HTTPS (HTTP over TLS, RFC 2818) encrypts all communication between a client and a web server using TLS/SSL, preventing a network sniffer from capturing plaintext data such as cookies, URLs, or form submissions. This ensures confidentiality and integrity of the web traffic, directly countering passive eavesdropping attacks.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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SNMP
Why it's wrong here
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is primarily used for monitoring and managing network devices, such as routers, switches, and servers, by collecting and organizing information about them. It operates at the application layer and typically uses UDP ports 161/162. While crucial for network operations, SNMP does not provide encryption or secure communication for web application traffic, making it unsuitable for protecting user data exchanged over HTTP/HTTPS. Therefore, it cannot prevent an attacker from intercepting web-based communications.
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FTP
Why it's wrong here
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is an application-layer protocol designed for transferring files between a client and a server on a computer network. By default, FTP transmits both data and authentication credentials, such as usernames and passwords, in cleartext, meaning they are unencrypted and easily readable by anyone performing network sniffing. This inherent lack of encryption makes standard FTP highly vulnerable to eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks, rendering it ineffective for securing web traffic or preventing data interception.
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HTTPS
Why this is correct
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is the secure version of HTTP, utilizing Transport Layer Security (TLS), or its deprecated predecessor SSL, to encrypt communication between a web browser and a server. This encryption protects the confidentiality and integrity of data exchanged, including sensitive information like login credentials, financial transactions, and personal data, by preventing unauthorized eavesdropping and tampering. HTTPS ensures that an attacker cannot easily intercept and read the web traffic, thereby securing user interactions and preventing data compromise.
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HTTP
Why it's wrong here
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the foundational protocol for data communication on the World Wide Web, enabling clients to request and servers to deliver web pages and other resources. However, HTTP transmits all data, including sensitive information like login credentials and form submissions, in cleartext across the network. This lack of encryption means that an attacker performing packet sniffing can easily intercept and read the entire communication, making HTTP inherently insecure for any traffic requiring confidentiality or integrity protection.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CEH practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council 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 CEH exam.