156-215.81.20 SIC and SmartConsole Management Practice Question
An administrator needs to reset Secure Internal Communication (SIC) on a remote Security Gateway that is currently showing a status of 'Communication Error' in SmartConsole. Which TWO actions must be performed to successfully re-establish the SIC relationship? (Choose TWO)
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often try to reset SIC only on the gateway. This fails because the SmartConsole object still holds the old, invalid trust state; both ends must be reset to synchronize.
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
✓
Run cpconfig on the Security Gateway, select the option to reset SIC, and provide a new activation key.
Resetting SIC requires coordination between the Security Management Server database object and the remote gateway operating system. The administrator must initiate the reset state on both ends using the cpconfig utility on the gateway and re-defining the matching activation key within SmartConsole.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Run cpconfig on the Security Gateway, select the option to reset SIC, and provide a new activation key.
Why this is correct
Running cpconfig on the gateway locally lets you reset SIC and set a new activation key, which regenerates the gateway's internal certificate. This one-time password must then match what is entered on the SmartConsole object, re-establishing trust with the management server.
- ✗
Execute the fwm unloadlocal command directly on the Security Gateway CLI before generating new certificates.
Why it's wrong here
Running fwm unloadlocal strips the gateway's SIC certificate locally, but the management server still holds the old certificate; re-establishing SIC requires resetting from SmartConsole and re-initialising trust, not merely unloading locally. It is tempting because unloadlocal is used when a gateway is unreachable or being rebuilt.
- ✓
Open the gateway object properties in SmartConsole, navigate to Communication, and click Reset with a matching activation key.
Why this is correct
In SmartConsole, opening the gateway object and using Communication > Reset SIC lets you enter an activation key matching the one set locally on the gateway. This reinitialises the SIC certificate exchange, restoring the trusted channel that showed Communication Error.
- ✗
Restart the database daemon on the management server using cpstop and cpstart commands.
Why it's wrong here
Restarting the management database daemon via cpstop and cpstart only cycles management processes; it does not regenerate the gateway's SIC certificate or reset the trust relationship, so the Communication Error persists. It is tempting because cpstop/cpstart is the standard remedy for management server service faults.
- ✗
Reboot the Security Gateway immediately after generating the internal Certificate Authority files.
Why it's wrong here
Rebooting the gateway does not reset SIC; the certificate must be re-initialised and trust re-established, and a reboot alone leaves the stale certificate in place. It is tempting because reboots resolve many gateway connectivity faults, but SIC failure is a certificate trust issue, not a process state issue.
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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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