Question

Difficulty: MediumRemote Access Technologies and Tools

A network administrator is establishing remote management capabilities for several headless Linux servers and core network switches located at a remote branch office. Administrative traffic must travel across an untrusted public connection without exposing authentication credentials or session data to cleartext interception. Which of the following configurations and protocols should the administrator implement to meet these requirements securely? (Select TWO.)

  1. Allow incoming Secure Shell (SSH) traffic over TCP port 22 on the boundary firewall.Answer
  2. Establish a virtual private network (VPN) connection to encrypt all administrative traffic prior to accessing internal management interfaces.Answer
  3. C
    Enable Telnet access over TCP port 23 to permit lightweight terminal management across the router's WAN interface.
  4. D
    Configure Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) on TCP port 3389 to manage the native console environment of the headless Linux appliances.

Answer

The administrator should permit SSH traffic on TCP port 22 and establish a VPN connection to encapsulate remote management sessions across public networks.
Secure remote command-line management across public networks requires end-to-end encryption. SSH (TCP port 22) guarantees encrypted terminal sessions, protecting credentials and commands from eavesdropping. Implementing a VPN creates a secure network tunnel that hides internal management ports from public exposure and encrypts all network packets sent to the branch office.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify security and interface requirements for the target systems
Headless Linux servers and network appliances require secure, encrypted command-line remote access across an untrusted network connection.
Cleartext protocols expose administrative credentials, while non-CLI protocols like RDP do not align with headless Linux management.
2
Select the appropriate remote CLI protocol and port configuration
SSH utilizing TCP port 22 is selected as it encrypts terminal communications.
SSH replaces legacy cleartext protocols such as Telnet.
3
Determine the network-level encryption requirement for public transmission
Deploying a VPN tunnel secures and isolates administrative traffic before reaching internal management interfaces.
A VPN protects internal administrative services from exposure on the public internet.

Key Concept

Secure remote command-line administration using SSH (TCP 22) and VPN tunnel encapsulation
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