220-1101 Question 101
Single answerUnified threat management (UTM)A small medical office has a single internet connection for 25 workstations, several VoIP phones, and a wireless guest network. The office manager wants one edge device that can centrally handle the internet firewall, block malicious websites, scan traffic for malware, and support VPN access for a doctor who works remotely. Which solution best meets these requirements?
- A
Deploy a unified threat management (UTM) appliance at the network edge
- B
Install host-based antivirus on each workstation and leave the existing basic router in place
- C
Replace the switch with a Layer 2 managed switch and configure VLANs for the office and guest network
- D
Use a wireless access point with WPA3 and MAC filtering as the primary security device
- E
Set up a standalone proxy server only for web filtering and use remote desktop port forwarding for the doctor
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best answer is a unified threat management (UTM) appliance because the scenario calls for a single device at the network edge that combines several security capabilities: firewall protection, malicious-site blocking, traffic inspection for threats, and VPN access for a remote user. That combination closely matches the purpose of UTM platforms in small business environments. In CompTIA A+ Core 1 context, candidates should recognize UTM as an integrated security solution that can consolidate services such as stateful firewalling, content filtering, anti-malware inspection, intrusion prevention, and VPN connectivity. Best-practice guidance from major network security vendors and general SMB security design principles supports using a dedicated security gateway rather than trying to piece together partial solutions from switches, access points, or endpoint tools alone. While endpoint protection, VLANs, and secure wireless settings are all valuable, they do not independently satisfy the requirement for centralized, edge-based, multifunction network security.
- A. Correct.
Correct. A unified threat management (UTM) appliance combines multiple security functions into a single edge device, commonly including firewalling, content or URL filtering, malware or intrusion prevention features, and VPN services. In this scenario, the office specifically wants centralized protection and remote-access VPN capability from one device, which is the core use case for UTM in small and midsize environments.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Host-based antivirus is useful, but it does not replace perimeter protections such as a firewall, web filtering, and centralized VPN services. Leaving the basic router in place would not meet the requirement for a single device that manages multiple network security functions at the edge.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. VLANs on a Layer 2 managed switch can help segment traffic, such as separating guest and internal networks, but a switch is not a substitute for a security gateway. VLANs alone do not provide malware scanning, URL filtering, or remote-access VPN termination.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. WPA3 and MAC filtering can help with wireless access control, but they do not provide the full set of edge security services described. MAC filtering is also limited because MAC addresses can be spoofed, and a wireless access point is not the right primary platform for centralized threat management and VPN services.
- E. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A proxy server can provide web filtering, but by itself it does not deliver the broad integrated protections of a UTM appliance. In addition, using remote desktop port forwarding directly to an internal system is not a best practice when a secure VPN solution is required; it increases exposure and does not satisfy the request for centralized threat management.