mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: Refer to the exhibit
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. ``` # Security policy snippet crypto isakmp policy 10 authentication pre-share encryption aes 256 hash sha256 group 14 lifetime 86400 ```
Refer to the exhibit. A network engineer is configuring an IPsec VPN. Which protocol does this configuration apply to?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse SSL/TLS with IPsec because both are used for VPNs, but SSL/TLS VPNs operate at the transport layer (e.g., OpenVPN) while IPsec VPNs require IKE for key exchange at the network layer.
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
✓
IKE (Internet Key Exchange)
The configuration shown in the exhibit is for an IPsec VPN, which relies on IKE (Internet Key Exchange) to establish security associations and negotiate cryptographic keys. IKE (RFC 7296) is the mandatory key management protocol for IPsec, handling authentication and key exchange over UDP ports 500 and 4500. Without IKE, IPsec cannot dynamically negotiate the encryption and hashing parameters required for secure tunnel establishment.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
HTTPS
Why it's wrong here
HTTPS uses SSL/TLS, not ISAKMP.
- ✗
SSH
Why it's wrong here
SSH is a secure shell protocol, not configured this way.
- ✗
SSL/TLS
Why it's wrong here
SSL/TLS uses different commands and is not configured via 'crypto isakmp'.
- ✓
IKE (Internet Key Exchange)
Why this is correct
ISAKMP is the framework for IKE, used in IPsec VPNs.
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.