- A
Switch the application to use a VPN instead of TLS for legacy client access.
Why wrong: VPNs add complexity and may not address the legacy TLS requirement; also, downgrade attacks may still be possible.
- B
Upgrade all legacy clients to support TLS 1.2 or later immediately.
Why wrong: Upgrading clients may be impractical or impossible in the short term.
- C
Deploy a TLS-terminating reverse proxy that supports both strong and legacy TLS, placing it in front of the web server.
The proxy can negotiate strong TLS with the server and weaker TLS with legacy clients, isolating the server from weak protocols.
- D
Re-enable TLS 1.0 and 1.1 on the server, as the business requirement outweighs security concerns.
Why wrong: Re-enabling weak protocols exposes the server to downgrade attacks and violates security policy.
Quick Answer
The answer is to deploy a TLS-terminating reverse proxy that supports both strong and legacy TLS, placing it in front of the web server. This approach works because the proxy acts as a secure intermediary, accepting TLS 1.0 connections from legacy clients on the front end while forwarding traffic to the IIS server using only TLS 1.2 or higher on the back end, effectively isolating the origin server from any downgrade attack. On the Systems Security Certified Practitioner SSCP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of defense-in-depth and protocol negotiation control, often appearing as a trick where candidates mistakenly choose to re-enable weak protocols on the server or rely solely on cipher suite ordering. A common trap is assuming that disabling TLS versions on the server is the only option, but the proxy model satisfies both security and business continuity. Remember the memory tip: “Proxy the problem, don’t poke the server”—the proxy handles the weak handshake so the server stays strong.
SSCP Cryptography Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of cryptography. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 mid-sized company has deployed a web application that handles sensitive customer data. The application uses TLS to encrypt data in transit. Recently, the company received a penetration test report indicating that an attacker could potentially downgrade the TLS connection to an older, weaker version (e.g., TLS 1.0) by performing a man-in-the-middle attack. The application server runs on Windows Server 2022 with IIS 10. The security team wants to disable all versions of TLS below 1.2 on the server. However, after making registry changes to disable TLS 1.0 and 1.1, some legacy clients that only support TLS 1.0 are unable to connect. The business requires that these legacy clients still be able to access the application securely, but the security team insists on disabling weak protocols. The server currently has a valid certificate from a public CA. Which of the following is the most appropriate course of action?
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
Deploy a TLS-terminating reverse proxy that supports both strong and legacy TLS, placing it in front of the web server.
Option C is correct because deploying a TLS-terminating reverse proxy allows the server to enforce TLS 1.2+ on the backend while the proxy handles legacy TLS 1.0 connections from older clients. This satisfies both the security requirement to disable weak protocols on the origin server and the business need to support legacy clients, without exposing the server to downgrade attacks. The proxy can be configured with separate TLS policies per listener, ensuring that only the proxy accepts weaker TLS versions while the IIS server remains locked down.
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.
- ✗
Switch the application to use a VPN instead of TLS for legacy client access.
Why it's wrong here
VPNs add complexity and may not address the legacy TLS requirement; also, downgrade attacks may still be possible.
- ✗
Upgrade all legacy clients to support TLS 1.2 or later immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Upgrading clients may be impractical or impossible in the short term.
- ✓
Deploy a TLS-terminating reverse proxy that supports both strong and legacy TLS, placing it in front of the web server.
Why this is correct
The proxy can negotiate strong TLS with the server and weaker TLS with legacy clients, isolating the server from weak protocols.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Re-enable TLS 1.0 and 1.1 on the server, as the business requirement outweighs security concerns.
Why it's wrong here
Re-enabling weak protocols exposes the server to downgrade attacks and violates security policy.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think re-enabling weak protocols (Option D) is the only way to support legacy clients, or that upgrading clients (Option B) is always feasible, but the exam expects you to recognize that a reverse proxy provides a secure, practical compromise without weakening the server's security posture.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A TLS-terminating reverse proxy (e.g., HAProxy, Nginx, or F5) can be configured with multiple frontend listeners, each with its own TLS version policy. The proxy terminates the client TLS connection and then initiates a new, secure TLS 1.2+ connection to the backend IIS server, effectively isolating the legacy TLS traffic. This architecture also allows centralized certificate management and additional security features like HSTS headers, which further mitigate downgrade risks.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SSCP question test?
Cryptography — This question tests Cryptography — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy a TLS-terminating reverse proxy that supports both strong and legacy TLS, placing it in front of the web server. — Option C is correct because deploying a TLS-terminating reverse proxy allows the server to enforce TLS 1.2+ on the backend while the proxy handles legacy TLS 1.0 connections from older clients. This satisfies both the security requirement to disable weak protocols on the origin server and the business need to support legacy clients, without exposing the server to downgrade attacks. The proxy can be configured with separate TLS policies per listener, ensuring that only the proxy accepts weaker TLS versions while the IIS server remains locked down.
What should I do if I get this SSCP 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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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