When do we authenticate in standard procedures?

• A. When a station suspects an enemy is trying to intrude the net
• B. Only when HQ requests
• C. At regular intervals
• D. Never

Answer: (A)

Authentication is a security check that verifies a station’s identity on a net, used when there’s doubt about who is transmitting. The best practice is to authenticate when you suspect an intruder or impersonator attempting to join or interfere with the net. This helps protect the net from spoofed identities and misleading messages without slowing everything down with routine checks.

Why the other ideas aren’t as fitting: authentication isn’t something done only because HQ requests it, nor is it typically performed on a fixed regular schedule regardless of risk. And it certainly isn’t something never done; the point of authentication is to verify identity when there’s a potential threat, not to abandon verification altogether.