Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

The selected answer, Kerberos, is the correct choice because it represents a significant upgrade in authentication methods used within Windows operating systems to enhance security for client/server applications. Kerberos employs a system of tickets to allow secure communications over an insecure network, addressing the vulnerabilities present in earlier methods, particularly those that rely on transmitting passwords in clear text.

Kerberos utilizes strong cryptography to provide mutual authentication between users and servers, ensuring that both parties are who they claim to be before any data is exchanged. This method mitigates risks associated with eavesdropping and replay attacks that could compromise sensitive information.

The reliance on time-stamped tickets reduces the frequency with which user credentials are transmitted over the network, further enhancing security. The method also supports cross-realm authentication, making it versatile for environments that require interaction between different security domains.

In contrast, LDAP primarily focuses on directory access rather than authentication strength, while NTLM is a legacy authentication protocol that has known vulnerabilities and is less secure than Kerberos. RADIUS, while useful for remote access and services authentication, does not specifically address the client/server security upgrade found with Kerberos.