What does LDAP stand for?

The correct answer is Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. LDAP is a protocol used for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over an Internet Protocol (IP) network. It is commonly used for directory services, such as those that manage information about users, services, or devices in a network.

LDAP's lightweight nature refers to its ability to reduce the overhead associated with earlier directory access methods, making it faster and more efficient for networked environments. The protocol defines a binary encoding for accessing directory entries and supports a variety of operations such as creating, reading, modifying, and deleting entries.

In contrast to the other options, which either do not exist or misrepresent the functionality and purpose of LDAP, the correct choice accurately reflects the established definition and usage of this protocol in the context of network management and security.