Network Defense Essentials (NDE) Practice Exam

Which of the following assures that communication, document, or data is genuine?

1. Integrity

2. Authentication

3. Accessibility

4. Accountability

The correct answer is: Authentication

Authentication is the process that ensures communication, documents, or data are genuine by verifying the identity of the entities involved in the exchange. This concept plays a crucial role in network security, as it allows parties to confirm that they are engaging with the correct individuals or systems, reducing the risk of fraud and unauthorized access. In practice, authentication can involve methods such as passwords, digital certificates, biometric scans, and other verification techniques. By establishing that a user or system is who it claims to be, authentication safeguards the integrity and confidentiality of data being transmitted. While integrity pertains to the accuracy and consistency of the data, ensuring that it hasn’t been altered or tampered with, and accessibility relates to the availability of information to authorized users, these concepts do not specifically address the verification of the genuineness of the parties involved in a communication. Accountability, on the other hand, deals with the responsibility of users within the network and their actions but does not guarantee that data or communication is authentic. Therefore, authentication is clearly the right choice.