What is LDAPS?

What is LDAPS?

• A. Lightweight Directory Access Protocol over SSL, a secure version of LDAP
• B. Local Directory Access Protocol with secure logins
• C. Lightweight Data Access Protocol with TLS
• D. Light Directory Access Protocol for secure printing

Answer: (A)

LDAPS is LDAP over SSL, meaning the LDAP protocol is wrapped with SSL/TLS to encrypt the traffic between client and server. This protects credentials and directory data from eavesdropping and tampering as it travels over the network. It’s considered a secure version of LDAP. In practice, LDAPS often uses a dedicated secure port and certificates to authenticate the server (and optionally the client). Modern LDAP deployments often use StartTLS on the standard LDAP port to upgrade to TLS, but LDAPS specifically refers to the SSL/TLS-wrapped LDAP communication. The other options aren’t standard terms: there isn’t a “Local Directory Access Protocol,” and “Lightweight Data Access Protocol” is not LDAP, while “secure printing” has no relation to directory services.

LDAPS is LDAP over SSL, meaning the LDAP protocol is wrapped with SSL/TLS to encrypt the traffic between client and server. This protects credentials and directory data from eavesdropping and tampering as it travels over the network. It’s considered a secure version of LDAP. In practice, LDAPS often uses a dedicated secure port and certificates to authenticate the server (and optionally the client). Modern LDAP deployments often use StartTLS on the standard LDAP port to upgrade to TLS, but LDAPS specifically refers to the SSL/TLS-wrapped LDAP communication. The other options aren’t standard terms: there isn’t a “Local Directory Access Protocol,” and “Lightweight Data Access Protocol” is not LDAP, while “secure printing” has no relation to directory services.