(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity Practice Exam

Which of the following is a protocol used for securing communication over a computer network?

1. HTTP

2. HTTPS

3. FTP

4. IMAP

The correct answer is: HTTPS

The focus on HTTPS as the correct answer stems from its fundamental role in securing communication over a computer network, particularly on the web. HTTPS, which stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, is an extension of HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and employs encryption through protocols such as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security). This encryption ensures that the data exchanged between a user's browser and a web server is kept confidential and is protected from eavesdroppers or man-in-the-middle attacks. In addition to encryption, HTTPS also provides authentication, which helps users verify that they are communicating with the legitimate website they intend to interact with, further enhancing security. This is crucial for activities where sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card numbers, is transmitted. In contrast, HTTP does not provide any encryption or secure data transmission, making it vulnerable to various security attacks. Other options like FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) are protocols used for transferring files and emails respectively, but they do not inherently offer the security features that HTTPS provides to protect data during transmission.