Question

Difficulty: MediumNetworking Ports and Protocols

A systems technician is configuring an email client on a mobile device to connect to a corporate mail server. The organization's security policy requires all incoming email traffic to be encrypted using SSL/TLS, and users must be able to synchronize message statuses across multiple devices. Which of the following default port numbers should the technician configure for the incoming mail server connection?

  1. 993Answer
  2. B
    143
  3. C
    995
  4. D
    110

Answer

Port 993 (IMAPS) should be configured because it provides SSL/TLS encrypted communication for incoming email while allowing multi-device synchronization.
IMAPS (Internet Message Access Protocol Secure) operates on TCP port 993 to deliver encrypted incoming email using SSL/TLS while keeping mailbox folders and message statuses synchronized across multiple client devices.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the scenario requirements.
The connection requires encrypted incoming email retrieval (SSL/TLS) and mailbox state synchronization across multiple devices.
Choosing the correct network port requires identifying the appropriate application layer protocol and its secure variant.
2
Differentiate between email retrieval protocol capabilities.
IMAP supports server-side folder management and multi-device synchronization, whereas POP3 typically downloads email to a single device without multi-client sync.
The requirement specifies syncing message status across multiple devices, pointing to IMAP.
3
Identify the standard port for secure IMAP.
IMAPS operates over TCP port 993.
Unencrypted IMAP uses port 143, whereas IMAPS uses port 993 for implicit SSL/TLS encrypted communication.

Key Concept

IMAPS (TCP Port 993) secures incoming email traffic via SSL/TLS encryption while enabling mailbox synchronization across multiple devices.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question