When traffic moves laterally between VMs within the same network or subnet, it is known as east-west traffic. This contrasts with north-south traffic, which refers to communication between internal and external networks.
Breakdown of Options:
A: East-west - Correct answer. This refers to traffic between internal servers or VMs, which is a common security concern.
B: Point-to-point - Point-to-point describes a direct connection between two devices, but does not specifically define lateral movement.
C: Horizontal-scaling - This refers to adding more instances or nodes in cloud computing, unrelated to traffic flow.
D: Hub-and-spoke - This network topology describes a centralized design, not lateral traffic.
Reference:
CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) Official Study Guide - Domain 1.4: Analyze traffic patterns and behavior.
NIST SP 800-207: Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) - East-West traffic monitoring