ISC2 CISSP Practice Question

Secure Shell (SSH) with multi-factor authentication is the most appropriate solution for secure remote administrative access. SSH provides encrypted communications for administrative sessions, ensuring confidentiality of sensitive network operations. When combined with multi-factor authentication, it significantly enhances security by requiring something the user knows (password) plus something they have (token or mobile device) or something they are (biometrics). SSH also has robust logging capabilities for auditing administrative actions, which is crucial for security monitoring and compliance.

VPN alone provides encryption but lacks the specific administrative controls and logging capabilities needed for administrative access. Remote Desktop Protocol has known security vulnerabilities when not properly secured and doesn't inherently include multi-factor authentication. Telnet transmits data in plaintext, making it fundamentally insecure for administrative functions.