GCIH · Question #640
What version of Windows natively supports SMB encryption?
The correct answer is A. Windows 8. SMB 3.0, introduced with Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, was the first version to natively support SMB encryption. Earlier Windows versions used SMB 1.x or 2.x, which lacked built-in encryption.
Question
What version of Windows natively supports SMB encryption?
Options
- AWindows 8
- BWindows Server 2008
- CWindows 7
- DWindows Server 2003
How the community answered
(28 responses)- A89% (25)
- B7% (2)
- D4% (1)
Why each option
SMB 3.0, introduced with Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, was the first version to natively support SMB encryption. Earlier Windows versions used SMB 1.x or 2.x, which lacked built-in encryption.
Windows 8 shipped with SMB 3.0, which introduced native end-to-end encryption using AES-128-CCM. This was a major security enhancement allowing administrators to encrypt data in transit without a separate VPN, protecting against eavesdropping on untrusted networks.
Windows Server 2008 uses SMB 2.0/2.1, which introduced performance improvements but did not include native encryption support.
Windows 7 uses SMB 2.1, which added features like request compounding but lacks the native encryption capability introduced in SMB 3.0.
Windows Server 2003 uses SMB 1.0, an older protocol version with no encryption support and several well-known security vulnerabilities.
Concept tested: SMB 3.0 native encryption support in Windows
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/file-server/smb-security
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