- A
authPriv with MD5 and DES
Why wrong: While valid, MD5 and DES are weaker; but the question asks for a combination that meets the requirement, and this also meets it. However, AES is stronger. The best answer is authPriv with SHA and AES.
- B
noAuthNoPriv with no security
Why wrong: This provides no security.
- C
authNoPriv with SHA and no encryption
Why wrong: This provides authentication only, no encryption.
- D
authPriv with SHA and AES
authPriv provides both authentication (SHA) and privacy (AES).
Question 491 of 1,000
CISSP Communication and Network Security Practice Question
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of communication and network security. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 security engineer is configuring SNMPv3 on network devices. The policy requires both authentication and encryption of SNMP messages. Which combination of protocols should be used to meet this requirement?
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
✓
authPriv with SHA and AES
Option D is correct because SNMPv3's authPriv security level requires both authentication and encryption. SHA (or SHA-2) provides message authentication via HMAC, and AES provides symmetric encryption for the message payload. This combination satisfies the policy requirement for both confidentiality and integrity.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
authPriv with MD5 and DES
Why it's wrong here
While valid, MD5 and DES are weaker; but the question asks for a combination that meets the requirement, and this also meets it. However, AES is stronger. The best answer is authPriv with SHA and AES.
- ✗
noAuthNoPriv with no security
Why it's wrong here
This provides no security.
- ✗
authNoPriv with SHA and no encryption
Why it's wrong here
This provides authentication only, no encryption.
- ✓
authPriv with SHA and AES
Why this is correct
authPriv provides both authentication (SHA) and privacy (AES).
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates see 'authPriv' and assume any combination of authentication and encryption protocols will work, but the CISSP exam expects you to recognize that MD5 and DES are deprecated and insecure, making option A a distractor despite the correct security level.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SNMPv3 defines three security levels: noAuthNoPriv, authNoPriv, and authPriv. The authPriv level uses a User-based Security Model (USM) where authentication is achieved via HMAC-MD5-96 or HMAC-SHA-96 (or stronger variants), and encryption uses CBC-DES or CFB-AES (RFC 3826 for AES). In practice, many enterprises mandate AES-128 or AES-256 for encryption and SHA-2 for authentication to comply with standards like FIPS 140-2. A common real-world scenario is monitoring critical infrastructure where SNMP traps must be both authenticated to prevent spoofing and encrypted to protect sensitive performance data traversing untrusted networks.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
Quick reference
Symmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Size | Block Size | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AES-128 | 128-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | NIST approved; WPA3, TLS |
| AES-256 | 256-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | Preferred for sensitive / govt data |
| 3DES | 112-bit effective | 64-bit | Deprecated (2023) | Replaced by AES |
| DES | 56-bit | 64-bit | Broken | Cracked in < 24 h; never deploy |
| ChaCha20 | 256-bit | Stream cipher | Current | TLS 1.3, WireGuard |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Communication and Network Security — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISSP question test?
Communication and Network Security — This question tests Communication and Network Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: authPriv with SHA and AES — Option D is correct because SNMPv3's authPriv security level requires both authentication and encryption. SHA (or SHA-2) provides message authentication via HMAC, and AES provides symmetric encryption for the message payload. This combination satisfies the policy requirement for both confidentiality and integrity.
What should I do if I get this CISSP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This CISSP 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 CISSP exam.
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