(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity Practice Exam

What do professionals call network traffic that exists between systems located in the data center?

1. East-West Traffic

2. Side-by-Side Traffic

3. Local Traffic

4. On Premise Traffic

The correct answer is: East-West Traffic

The term used by professionals to describe network traffic that flows between systems located within the same data center is "East-West Traffic." This designation is important as it differentiates it from "North-South Traffic," which refers to traffic that flows between the data center and external networks or users. East-West Traffic typically involves communications between servers, applications, or services residing on the same network segment in the data center, like those that may interact closely for performance and efficiency reasons. Understanding this type of traffic is crucial for network security and optimization because it helps in managing intra-data center communications and provides insight into traffic patterns that might indicate potential breaches or unauthorized access. The other terms provided are not standard terminology within the context of network traffic monitoring and management in data centers. "Side-by-Side Traffic" and "Local Traffic" are not widely recognized terms in network analysis and do not specifically reference the unique dynamics of data center communications. "On Premise Traffic" generally refers to any traffic that occurs within a local network as opposed to being in the cloud but lacks the specificity of East-West versus North-South architecture that is critical for data center operations.