LPIC-2 PKI Practice Question
A system administrator is setting up mutual TLS (mTLS) for communication between a web server and a backend application on a Linux server. The security team requires encryption and proper certificate management with automated renewal using open-source tools on a small budget. Which solution should the administrator implement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates might choose Hashicorp Vault (option C) due to its enterprise features, but it is over-engineered for a small budget. The simpler easy-rsa with cron is sufficient and aligns with LPIC-2's focus on standard Linux tools.
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
✓
Set up a private CA with easy-rsa and configure a cron job for certificate renewal.
Easy-rsa provides a simple wrapper around OpenSSL to create a private CA, and a cron job can automate certificate renewal, meeting the budget and open-source requirements. This is a common approach for internal mTLS in Linux environments.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Generate self-signed certificates using OpenSSL and manually distribute them via SCP.
Why it's wrong here
Self-signed certificates lack a proper CA hierarchy and manual distribution is cumbersome.
- ✓
Set up a private CA with easy-rsa and configure a cron job for certificate renewal.
Why this is correct
easy-rsa builds a proper CA and cron automates renewal, suitable for low budget.
- ✗
Deploy Hashicorp Vault with PKI backend.
Why it's wrong here
Vault adds complexity and cost, not needed for this scenario.
- ✗
Use Let's Encrypt with an ACME client to issue internal certificates.
Why it's wrong here
Let's Encrypt is for public domains, not internal mTLS.
Quick reference
Asymmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Exchange | Signatures | Equivalent Security Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSA-3072 | Yes | Yes | 128-bit | Widely deployed; slow for bulk data |
| ECDSA P-256 | No | Yes | 128-bit | Fast signatures; standard TLS certs |
| ECDH / ECDHE | Yes | No | 128-bit | Perfect forward secrecy in TLS 1.3 |
| DH / DHE | Yes | No | 128-bit (3072-bit key) | Replaced by ECDHE in modern TLS |
| Ed25519 | No | Yes | ~128-bit | SSH keys, modern PKI |
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This LPIC-2 practice question is part of Courseiva's free LPI 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 LPIC-2 exam.