CREST Practitioner Security Analyst (CPSA) Practice 2025 - Free CPSA Practice Questions and Study Guide

The chosen answer, SLIP, stands for Serial Line Internet Protocol. It is a data link layer protocol used primarily to transmit IP datagrams over serial connections such as telephone lines. SLIP functions by encapsulating data packets, allowing for the transmission of network layer protocols (like IP) over serial interfaces. Being a data link layer protocol, it is responsible for establishing, maintaining, and terminating a connection between two directly connected nodes.

In contrast, the other options listed operate at different layers of the networking model. DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is an application layer protocol used for dynamically assigning IP addresses to devices on a network. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is also an application layer protocol, primarily used for transmitting hypertext over the web. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is yet another application layer protocol specifically designed for transferring files across a network. Understanding the role and function of SLIP as a data link protocol distinguishes it from these other protocols that serve different purposes within the network stack.