156-215.81.20 SIC and SmartConsole Management Practice Question
A security administrator is using SmartConsole to manage a Security Gateway. The administrator needs to verify that Secure Internal Communication (SIC) is properly established between the Management Server and the gateway. Which SmartConsole status indicates that SIC is successfully established?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse general gateway status indicators like 'Active' with the specific SIC status, which is found in the gateway's properties.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The SIC status in the gateway's properties shows 'Trust established'.
The SIC status is explicitly shown in the gateway's properties under Secure Internal Communication. When trust is established, it displays 'Trust established'. Other statuses like 'Active' or 'Installed' refer to different aspects of gateway health and policy, not SIC. Therefore, checking the SIC status field is the correct way to verify SIC.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The gateway's policy installation status shows 'Installed'.
Why it's wrong here
Policy installation status indicates whether the security policy was successfully installed on the gateway. It does not reflect SIC status. A policy can be installed even if SIC is not established, although SIC is required for policy installation. However, the status 'Installed' alone does not confirm SIC. Therefore, this is not the correct indicator.
- ✗
The Management Server's log viewer shows SIC connection logs.
Why it's wrong here
While SIC connection logs may appear in the log viewer, their presence does not directly indicate that SIC is currently established. Logs could show failed attempts or historical connections. The authoritative status is displayed in the gateway's properties. Relying on logs alone is not the correct method to verify current SIC status.
- ✓
The SIC status in the gateway's properties shows 'Trust established'.
Why this is correct
In SmartConsole, the gateway object's General Properties > Secure Internal Communication section displays the SIC status. When SIC is successfully established, it shows 'Trust established'. This indicates that the gateway and Management Server have exchanged certificates and can communicate securely. This is the definitive indicator of successful SIC.
- ✗
The gateway's status is 'Active' in the Gateways & Servers view.
Why it's wrong here
'Active' status indicates that the gateway is up and responding to heartbeats, but it does not specifically confirm SIC status. A gateway can be Active while SIC is not established. SIC status is shown separately in the gateway's properties under Secure Internal Communication. Therefore, 'Active' is not the correct indicator for SIC.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Check Point exam blueprint
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