IPA IP 2021 Question 63
A question IPA Japan published in 令和3年度 ITパスポート試験 公開問題 問63, translated into English. ITPEC is based on the same exams.
A Web server on the Internet is accessed from the browser of a PC or a smartphone via an access point of a wireless LAN. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning SSL/TLS and WPA2 that are used for the encryption of communication in this case?
Explanation
SSL/TLS encrypts browser to Web server, with or without WPA2 — the two protect different stretches of the route.
- •WPA2 encrypts only the radio link between the terminal and the wireless LAN access point. Past the access point, the data travels over the wired LAN and the Internet unencrypted by WPA2.
- •SSL/TLS (HTTPS) encrypts end to end, from the browser to the Web server, whatever links lie between them: wireless, wired or the Internet.
So encrypting the whole path between browser and Web server needs SSL/TLS, and it works whether WPA2 is used or not. The kind of terminal does not matter: PCs and smartphones both use SSL/TLS for this, and both use WPA2 on a wireless LAN.
Answer (b)
Why not others:
- •(a) — WPA2 covers only the terminal-to-access-point radio link, so the route on to the Web server stays unprotected without SSL/TLS
- •(c) and (d) — the protocol is not chosen by the type of terminal; each protects its own section of the route on any terminal
Key rule: WPA2 protects the wireless hop to the access point; SSL/TLS protects the whole path from the browser to the server.
Security · AI-written, may contain errors
This question comes from the past questions IPA Japan publishes, translated into English by ITPEC Practice. ITPEC Practice is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with IPA or ITPEC. See the original paper (PDF) or Report an issue.