Which mechanism is commonly used to hide traffic from eavesdroppers on the network?

• A. HTTPS/TLS encryption
• B. IPsec VPN
• C. SSH
• D. Tor

Answer: (A)

Hiding traffic from eavesdroppers on the network comes from encrypting the data as it travels. HTTPS uses TLS to create a secure, end-to-end channel between your browser and the website. During the TLS handshake, the server is authenticated with a certificate, keys are exchanged securely, and then HTTP data is encrypted with symmetric keys. An observer on the network can see that you’re talking to that site and may see packet metadata, but they cannot read the actual content of the communication. That is why HTTPS/TLS encryption is the most common and practical way to protect web traffic from eavesdroppers.

The other mechanisms have different roles or limitations. IPsec VPN encrypts traffic by tunneling it at the IP layer, which hides content across the tunnel but is usually used for site-to-site or remote access connections, not everyday web browsing. SSH is primarily for secure remote login and can tunnel other traffic, but it isn’t the standard method for protecting general network traffic. Tor provides strong anonymity by routing traffic through multiple relays, but it’s designed for anonymity and can significantly degrade performance, so it isn’t the typical choice for everyday traffic privacy.

So, HTTPS/TLS encryption is the most widely used and practical way to conceal web traffic from eavesdroppers on the network.