This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of network and communications security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 company wants to ensure that employees connecting from home use a secure tunnel to access internal resources. Which protocol should be implemented?
SFTP
Why wrong: SFTP is for secure file transfer, not for general network access.
Telnet
Why wrong: Telnet is an unencrypted protocol and not suitable for secure remote access.
SSH
Why wrong: SSH provides secure remote terminal access, not a general VPN tunnel for all applications.
SSL/TLS VPN
A SSL/TLS VPN creates an encrypted tunnel for remote users to access internal resources securely.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
SSL/TLS VPN
An SSL/TLS VPN creates an encrypted tunnel over HTTPS (port 443) between the remote user's browser or client and the corporate VPN gateway, securing all traffic to internal resources. This is the standard solution for remote access VPNs because it uses ubiquitous SSL/TLS protocols, avoids the need for IPsec client software, and can traverse firewalls and NAT devices easily.
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.
SFTP
Why it's wrong here
SFTP is for secure file transfer, not for general network access.
Telnet
Why it's wrong here
Telnet is an unencrypted protocol and not suitable for secure remote access.
SSH
SSL/TLS VPN
Common exam traps
ISC2 often tests the distinction between SSH (a secure remote administration tool) and SSL/TLS VPN (a full remote access VPN solution), leading candidates to mistakenly choose SSH because they know it provides encryption, without realizing it does not create a comprehensive network tunnel for all internal resource access.
Detailed technical explanation
SSL/TLS VPNs operate at the transport layer (Layer 4) and can be implemented as either a clientless (using a web browser with a Java/ActiveX plugin) or client-based (using a dedicated VPN client) solution. The VPN gateway terminates the SSL/TLS session and then proxies or routes the user's traffic to internal servers, often using a virtual adapter on the client to assign an internal IP address and enforce split-tunneling policies. In real-world deployments, SSL/TLS VPNs are preferred over IPsec for remote access because they avoid IPsec's complex NAT traversal issues and can be more easily integrated with multi-factor authentication.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
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FAQ
Network and Communications Security — This question tests Network and Communications Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: SSL/TLS VPN — An SSL/TLS VPN creates an encrypted tunnel over HTTPS (port 443) between the remote user's browser or client and the corporate VPN gateway, securing all traffic to internal resources. This is the standard solution for remote access VPNs because it uses ubiquitous SSL/TLS protocols, avoids the need for IPsec client software, and can traverse firewalls and NAT devices easily.
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 30, 2026
This SSCP 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 SSCP exam.
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