mediumMultiple Choice
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 is an application-layer protocol securing web traffic on port 443; it provides no IPsec security association, IKE negotiation or ESP/AH encapsulation. It would be the answer if the exhibit showed TLS certificate binding or an HTTPS listener rather than VPN tunnel parameters.
- ✗
SSH
Why it's wrong here
SSH provides encrypted remote shell access on port 22 and performs no IKE phase negotiation, no ESP or AH packet protection and no tunnel-mode encapsulation. It would be correct if the exhibit depicted administrative CLI access to the VPN device rather than the IPsec parameters themselves.
- ✗
SSL/TLS
Why it's wrong here
IPsec negotiates IKE and ESP/AH at the network layer, so an IPsec VPN configuration cannot apply to SSL/TLS, which secures application-layer sessions over TCP. SSL/TLS is tempting because it also builds VPNs, but those are clientless remote-access tunnels on port 443, not the site-to-site IPsec parameters shown.
- ✓
IKE (Internet Key Exchange)
Why this is correct
IKE negotiates security associations and derives keys during IPsec phase one and phase two, so a configuration defining authentication, encryption and key-exchange parameters applies to IKE. It establishes the tunnel's cryptographic material before ESP or AH protects the actual traffic.
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
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