Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Practice Exam

The term 'connection-oriented' in networking refers to a communication method that establishes a session or connection between two endpoints before the actual data transfer begins. This involves a handshake process where both the sender and receiver agree on parameters, such as data format and sequence, which ensures that the data transmitted arrives in the correct order and is reliable.

Connection-oriented protocols, like Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), manage the state of the connection and provide various quality of service guarantees, including error checking and retransmissions if necessary. This process is essential in scenarios where data integrity and reliability are critical.

The other choices refer to different concepts. For instance, a method of securing data pertains to encryption or other security measures rather than the establishment of a session. A type of data communication that does not require prior preparation describes a connectionless method, like User Datagram Protocol (UDP), which sends data without establishing a connection first. Lastly, a method utilizing multiple data paths relates more to load balancing or multi-path networking rather than the concept of connection orientation. Hence, the choice that emphasizes establishing a session prior to data transfer is the accurate characterization of connection-oriented communication.