easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: A small medical office has 10 employees who use…
A small medical office has 10 employees who use laptops to access electronic health records (EHR) via a web application hosted at a colocation facility. The office currently uses a consumer-grade wireless router with WPA2-PSK for internet access. The EHR vendor requires all connections to be encrypted with TLS 1.2 and recommends using a VPN for remote access. The office manager wants to ensure secure connections from the office to the EHR system, while keeping costs low. The network consultant proposes several options. Which option best balances security and cost?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often focus on securing the wireless link (WPA3) or the application layer (HTTPS), forgetting that the EHR vendor explicitly requires a VPN to protect data across the untrusted internet path, not just at the endpoints.
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
✓
Configure an IPsec site-to-site VPN between the office router and the colocation firewall.
An IPsec site-to-site VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between the office router and the colocation firewall, securing all EHR traffic without requiring per-user software or high ongoing costs. This directly satisfies the EHR vendor's VPN recommendation while using existing infrastructure (the office router and colocation firewall) and avoiding the expense of a dedicated appliance or complex client management.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Upgrade the wireless router to one that supports WPA3-Enterprise.
Why it's wrong here
Wireless security alone does not protect traffic to the EHR system.
- ✗
Install a dedicated SSL VPN appliance at the office for clientless access.
Why it's wrong here
SSL VPN appliances can be expensive for a small office.
- ✓
Configure an IPsec site-to-site VPN between the office router and the colocation firewall.
Why this is correct
IPsec VPN provides end-to-end encryption and is cost-effective with existing hardware.
- ✗
Use only HTTPS with TLS 1.2 and disable HTTP access on the EHR server.
Why it's wrong here
HTTPS encrypts only the web traffic, but the local network could still be vulnerable.
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 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.