GCIH · Question #219
Which of the following IP packet elements is responsible for authentication while using IPSec?
The correct answer is A. Authentication Header (AH). In IPSec, the Authentication Header (AH) protocol is the element specifically responsible for data integrity and origin authentication of IP packets. ESP handles confidentiality, and IKE handles key negotiation.
Question
Which of the following IP packet elements is responsible for authentication while using IPSec?
Options
- AAuthentication Header (AH)
- BLayer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)
- CInternet Key Exchange (IKE)
- DEncapsulating Security Payload (ESP)
How the community answered
(37 responses)- A92% (34)
- B3% (1)
- D5% (2)
Why each option
In IPSec, the Authentication Header (AH) protocol is the element specifically responsible for data integrity and origin authentication of IP packets. ESP handles confidentiality, and IKE handles key negotiation.
The Authentication Header (AH), defined in RFC 4302, is an IPSec protocol that appends a cryptographic hash covering the IP packet - including the header - to provide connectionless data integrity, data origin authentication, and anti-replay protection. It is the dedicated IPSec component for authentication and does not provide encryption, distinguishing it from ESP.
L2TP is a Layer 2 tunneling protocol used to establish VPN tunnels and is not an IPSec component responsible for packet-level authentication.
IKE is responsible for negotiating security associations and exchanging cryptographic keying material between peers, not for directly authenticating individual IP packets in transit.
ESP provides confidentiality through encryption and can optionally include authentication, but AH is the IPSec protocol dedicated solely to authentication and integrity without encryption.
Concept tested: IPSec Authentication Header (AH) protocol function
Source: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc4302
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