Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Cybersecurity Practice Test

What is the primary drawback of the L2TP protocol when used alone?

1. It is not compatible with most VPNs

2. It does not provide encryption or confidentiality

3. It is too slow for real-time applications

4. It is complex to configure

The correct answer is: It does not provide encryption or confidentiality

The primary drawback of the L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol) protocol when used alone is that it does not provide encryption or confidentiality. L2TP is used to create a tunnel for the transmission of data, but it was not designed with built-in encryption. As a result, while it effectively facilitates the tunneling of data, it leaves the actual data packets vulnerable to interception while in transit, meaning that sensitive information may be exposed to potential attackers. For securing the data being transmitted, L2TP is often paired with another protocol, such as IPsec (Internet Protocol Security), which provides the necessary encryption and confidentiality. By itself, L2TP lacks these security features, leading to significant security risks for users or organizations relying solely on this protocol for secure communications. Other choice options may address different aspects of L2TP's functionality or performance, but they do not pinpoint the lack of inherent encryption as the most critical limitation when L2TP is used alone.