Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Practice Exam

A Test Access Port (TAP) is a network device that provides a means to access and analyze the data flowing through the network link without disturbing or interrupting the actual communication between the devices. TAPs are typically used in network monitoring and intrusion detection systems, allowing security professionals to observe network traffic in real-time to identify potential threats, analyze performance issues, or evaluate compliance with security policies.

The key feature of a TAP is its ability to create a copy of the data packets as they pass through, sending this data to monitoring tools. This means that the main traffic flow is unaffected, ensuring that network performance is not compromised during monitoring. This functionality is crucial for maintaining network integrity while still gaining valuable insights into network operations.

In contrast, functions such as blocking unauthorized devices or creating virtual LANs pertain to access control and network segmentation, which are not the primary purposes of a TAP. Similarly, encrypting network traffic is focused on securing data in transit rather than providing access for analysis. Thus, TAPs serve a specialized role in network diagnostics and monitoring.