COMPTIA A+ Practice Exam

SSH is a secure protocol that replaces?

1. NNTP

2. Telnet

3. FTP

4. SMB/CIFS

The correct answer is: Telnet

SSH, or Secure Shell, is designed as a secure replacement for Telnet, which is an older protocol used for remote command-line access. Telnet transmits data, including passwords, in plain text, making it susceptible to eavesdropping and other security threats. In contrast, SSH encrypts the entire session, ensuring that data exchanged between the client and server remains confidential and protected from interception. This shift from Telnet to SSH represents a significant improvement in security for remote communications. Organizations seeking to protect sensitive information during remote administration are encouraged to use SSH due to its robust authentication and encryption capabilities. While the other protocols listed have specific functions—such as NNTP for network news transfer, FTP for file transfer without encryption, and SMB/CIFS for sharing files and devices on a network—they do not serve as a direct replacement for Telnet in the context of secure remote access. Thus, the primary role of SSH in replacing Telnet highlights its importance in secure communications.