A network administrator is inspecting packet captures from a user workstation accessing an online banking portal. After establishing a reliable transport connection, the client and server begin exchanging messages to negotiate cipher suites, format character encodings, and perform data encryption. At which layer of the OSI reference model do these data translation, formatting, and encryption functions reside?
- Presentation Layer (Layer 6)Answer
- BTransport Layer (Layer 4)
- CSession Layer (Layer 5)
- DApplication Layer (Layer 7)
Answer
Presentation Layer (Layer 6)
The correct answer identifies the Presentation Layer (Layer 6), which serves as the network's data translator. It handles tasks such as data encryption/decryption, compression, and formatting code conventions (such as ASCII, EBCDIC, JPEG, or TLS payload formatting) to ensure compatible communication between disparate systems.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
OSI Presentation Layer (Layer 6) responsibilities
Estimated Time:1m 15s