CompTIA Network+ Practice Test

What improvement does NTS provide over standard NTP?

1. Faster time synchronization

2. Encrypted communication for time requests

3. Support for additional clients

4. Reduction in network traffic

The correct answer is: Encrypted communication for time requests

NTP Secure (NTS) enhances standard Network Time Protocol (NTP) primarily through the incorporation of encryption. The main improvement it offers is the ability to secure time synchronization communications, ensuring that time requests and responses are protected from eavesdropping and tampering. This is crucial for maintaining the integrity of time data, especially in environments where accurate timestamps are essential for security protocols and log file accuracy. The addition of encryption helps to safeguard against potential attacks that could target time synchronization services, which can lead to serious vulnerabilities in networks that rely on precise timekeeping. By preventing unauthorized access and providing confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity for time-related exchanges, NTS addresses significant security concerns that are not covered by standard NTP. Other options present potential benefits but do not specifically represent enhancements made by NTS. While faster synchronization and reduced network traffic are desirable characteristics, they are not direct improvements attributed to NTS. Support for additional clients is also not a defining feature of NTS, as standard NTP already supports a broad range of clients. Thus, the main distinguishing feature of NTS is the focus on secure communication through encryption.