Which technology provides a secure communication channel for all traffic at Layer 2 of the OSI model?

Which technology provides a secure communication channel for all traffic at Layer 2 of the OSI model?

A. MACsec

B. IPsec

C. SSL

D. Cisco Trustsec

View Answer

Answer: A

Explanation:

MACsec, defined in 802.1AE, provides MAC-layer encryption over wired networks by using out-ofband methods for encryption keying. The MACsec Key Agreement (MKA) Protocol provides the required session keys and manages the required encryption keys. MKA and MACsec are implemented after successful authentication using the 802.1x Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP-TLS) or Pre Shared Key (PSK) framework.

A switch using MACsec accepts either MACsec or non-MACsec frames, depending on the policy associated with the MKA peer. MACsec frames are encrypted and protected with an integrity check value (ICV). When the switch receives frames from the MKA peer, it decrypts them and calculates the correct ICV by using session keys provided by MKA. The switch compares that ICV to the ICV within the frame. If they are not identical, the frame is dropped. The switch also encrypts and adds an ICV to any frames sent over the secured port (the access point used to provide the secure MAC service to a MKA peer) using the current session key.

Reference: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst9300/software/release/16-9/configuration_guide/sec/b_169_sec_9300_cg/macsec_encryption.html Note: Cisco Trustsec is the solution which includes MACsec.