Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Practice Exam 2025 – All-in-One Guide to Mastering Your Certification!

EAP Over LAN, commonly abbreviated as EAPOL, is a network port authentication protocol used in IEEE 802.1X authenticated networks. It is specifically designed to facilitate communication between the client and the authentication server concerning the authentication process, typifying the extendable authentication protocol (EAP) within a wired or wireless local area network environment.

EAPOL allows for the encapsulation of various EAP methods in a LAN environment, enabling devices to manage authentication before gaining access to the network. This protocol operates specifically over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, serving as a critical component in network access control by supporting various EAP methods such as EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, and EAP-FAST.

The focus of EAPOL is primarily on the authentication mechanism, which forms a secure connection between the user and the network based on various credentials and methods outlined by the EAP protocol. Therefore, identifying EAPOL as the correct answer recognizes its unique role and function within local area network authentications compared to the other listed EAP methods, which are specific authentication techniques rather than protocols for transmission over LAN.