How does the SOCKS protocol secure Internet Protocol (IP) connections?

A.
By negotiating encryption keys during the connection setup.

B.
By attaching Authentication Headers (AH) to each packet.

C.
By distributing encryption keys to SOCKS enabled applications.

D.
By acting as a connection proxy.

Explanation:
“SOCKS is an example of a circuit-level proxy gateway that provides a secure
channel between two computers. When a SOCKS-enabled client sends a request to a computer
on the Internet, this request actually goes to the network’s SOCKS proxy server…” pg 379 Shon
Harris: All-in-One CISSP Certification