Which statement is true regarding NTP Stratum Levels?

Stratum-1 time servers are indeed the authoritative timekeepers in the Network Time Protocol (NTP) hierarchy, which means they need to obtain accurate time from a reliable source that provides Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This reliable source can be a GPS satellite, an atomic clock, or another highly accurate time source. Stratum-1 servers then serve this accurate time to lower stratum levels, acting as the primary reference point for synchronization.

In contrast, Stratum-0 refers to devices such as atomic clocks or GPS clocks that are directly connected to Stratum-1 servers. Stratum-2 servers, on the other hand, rely on Stratum-1 servers for time synchronization, but they do not have a reliable external source of UTC themselves. Lastly, Stratum-3 servers are linked to Stratum-2 servers and seek to obtain time from them, meaning they do not operate independently. Understanding these hierarchy levels is crucial for maintaining accurate time across networks, which is essential for various applications and security protocols.