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ISC2 CC Practice Question: Which two of the following are common methods to…
Which two of the following are common methods to secure a virtual private network (VPN) connection? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the distinction between VPN security protocols (IPsec, SSL/TLS) and unrelated network protocols (ICMP, SNMP, LDAP) to see if candidates confuse management or authentication protocols with encryption/tunneling mechanisms.
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
✓
SSL/TLS
SSL/TLS is a common method to secure VPN connections, typically used in SSL VPNs. It operates at the transport layer (Layer 4) and provides encryption, authentication, and integrity for data transmitted over the internet, often using port 443 to bypass firewalls. This makes it ideal for remote access VPNs where clients connect via a web browser or a lightweight client.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
ICMP
Why it's wrong here
ICMP is for diagnostics, not security.
- ✗
LDAP
Why it's wrong here
LDAP is for directory services, not a VPN protocol.
- ✓
SSL/TLS
Why this is correct
SSL/TLS is used for secure web-based VPNs.
- ✗
SNMP
Why it's wrong here
SNMP is for network management, not VPN security.
- ✓
IPsec
Why this is correct
IPsec is a common VPN protocol for secure site-to-site and remote access.
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.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Authentication and Authorization Methods
Key term
Authentication
Authentication is the process of verifying that someone or something is who or what it claims to be before granting access to a system or resource.
Key term
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, or HTTPS, is the secure version of HTTP that encrypts data between a web browser and a website using SSL/TLS to protect sensitive information like passwords and credit card numbers.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.