What is the purpose of DHCP Snooping in network security?

The purpose of DHCP Snooping in network security is to act as a firewall between trusted hosts and untrusted DHCP servers. This technology helps to safeguard the network from rogue DHCP servers that may attempt to assign IP addresses to devices on the network. By establishing a trusted and untrusted boundary based on DHCP messages, DHCP Snooping ensures that only authorized DHCP servers can offer IP addresses to clients.

When DHCP Snooping is enabled, the network equipment inspects DHCP packets and allows the transmission of DHCP messages only from trusted sources. This capability prevents attacks such as DHCP spoofing, where an attacker introduces a rogue DHCP server that can mislead clients, redirect traffic, or perform man-in-the-middle attacks.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately represent the core functionality of DHCP Snooping. While securing communication and managing devices are important aspects of overall network security, they don't specifically relate to the primary role of DHCP Snooping, which is focused on controlling DHCP traffic to maintain a secure network environment. Monitoring user activities across network applications is also unrelated and falls under different security measures.