Multiple choice

As compared to SSH, what is the primary disadvantage of telnet?

  1. Not widely available

  2. Does not support encryption

  3. Consumes more network bandwidth

  4. Does not support authentication
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Telnet transmits all data (including usernames and passwords) in clear text over the network, making it vulnerable to eavesdropping and packet sniffing attacks. SSH encrypts the entire session, providing confidentiality and integrity. Telnet is widely available (option A is wrong), uses minimal bandwidth (option C is wrong), and does support authentication (option D is wrong - you authenticate with username/password, just not securely). The lack of encryption is Telnet's fundamental security weakness.

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