NSE7 Advanced VPN and Zero Trust Practice Question
An administrator wants to ensure that FortiGate validates the identity of the remote VPN peer using a certificate during IKEv2 phase 1. Which authentication method should the administrator select in the IPsec phase 1 configuration?
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
✓
Signature (RSA)
IKEv2 supports certificate-based authentication (RSA signature) for peer identity verification.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Aggressive mode
Why it's wrong here
Aggressive mode is a negotiation mode, not an authentication method.
- ✗
Pre-shared key
Why it's wrong here
PSK uses a shared secret, not certificates.
- ✗
EAP
Why it's wrong here
EAP is used for extended authentication, not primarily for peer identity validation.
- ✓
Signature (RSA)
Why this is correct
Signature authentication uses digital certificates to verify identity.
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 NSE7 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Fortinet 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 NSE7 exam.