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350-701 Practice Question: A company deploys Cisco ASA with clientless SSL…
A company deploys Cisco ASA with clientless SSL VPN to provide remote access to internal web-based applications. Users connect via a web browser and authenticate using RADIUS. The security policy requires that users re-authenticate after 15 minutes of inactivity. The administrator configures the group-policy with 'vpn-idle-timeout 15' and 'vpn-session-timeout 60'. After testing, the administrator finds that users can still access the internal web applications even after the VPN session has timed out. The administrator checks the ASA logs and confirms that the VPN session is indeed terminated. The web applications are standard HTTP-based and do not have their own session timeout mechanisms. What is the most likely cause of this issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between VPN-layer timeouts and application-layer session persistence, trapping candidates who assume that terminating the VPN tunnel automatically invalidates all application access.
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 web applications use persistent cookies that do not require re-authentication.
Clientless SSL VPN uses a web portal that relies on cookies to maintain the user's authenticated state. When the VPN session times out, the ASA terminates the VPN tunnel, but the web browser still holds the authentication cookie for the internal web application. Since the web application itself has no session timeout, the cookie remains valid, allowing the user to continue accessing the application without re-authentication. The ASA's vpn-idle-timeout and vpn-session-timeout only control the VPN tunnel, not the application-layer cookies.
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 web applications use persistent cookies that do not require re-authentication.
Why this is correct
Persistent cookies maintain the application session independently of the VPN session.
- ✗
The clientless SSL VPN portal uses 'application-specific' timeout settings.
Why it's wrong here
ASA does not have application-specific timeout settings for clientless VPN.
- ✗
The RADIUS server is sending the 'Session-Timeout' attribute that overrides the ASA configuration.
Why it's wrong here
This would change the timeout, but not allow access after termination.
- ✗
The ASA is configured with 'webvpn' and 'cache' enabled, which caches the application pages.
Why it's wrong here
Caching might store page content, but not session state.
Quick reference
AAA Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port(s) | Encryption | Transport | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RADIUS | 1812 / 1813 | Password only | UDP | Network access control |
| TACACS+ | 49 | Full packet | TCP | Device administration |
| Diameter | 3868 | Full session | TCP / SCTP | Carrier / mobile networks |
| 802.1X | — | EAP-based | Layer 2 | Port-based access control |
TACACS+ encrypts the entire packet; RADIUS only encrypts the password field — a key exam distinction.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-701 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-701 exam.