Which statement describes the trust between two entities when both directions are established?

• A. Mutual
• B. One-way
• C. Transitive
• D. Intransitive

Answer: (A)

Mutual trust means two entities establish trust in both directions, so each side can verify the other and grant access accordingly. This bidirectional trust allows secure authentication and authorization from either party, which is crucial when resources on either side must be safely accessed. A common example is mutual TLS, where both client and server present certificates and validate each other’s identity.

This differs from a one-way trust, where only one direction is trusted and access flows in that single direction. It also differs from transitive trust, which describes trust being extended through a chain of parties (A trusts B and B trusts C, so A trusts C by association), not a bilateral, two-way relationship. Intransitive isn’t about a two-party direction and is generally about whether trust can be inferred beyond a direct link.