Which term describes a safe, encrypted tunnel over a public network for secure communication between endpoints?

• A. Virtual Private Network
• B. Worm
• C. Hack Value
• D. Vulnerability

Answer: (A)

This concept is about keeping data safe as it travels across untrusted networks. A Virtual Private Network establishes an encrypted tunnel between the communicating endpoints over the public Internet, so the traffic remains confidential and protected from tampering even if the network is monitored. It relies on encryption and authentication to ensure privacy, integrity, and authenticity, and it typically encapsulates traffic within secure packets. VPNs enable remote access to a private network or secure site-to-site connections, using technologies such as IPsec or TLS-based VPNs. This is distinct from a worm, which is malware that propagates itself; from a term like hack value that isn’t a standard security term; and from a vulnerability, which is a flaw that could be exploited rather than a mechanism for secure communication.