The answer is to create an SSL decryption bypass rule for the specific application servers' IP addresses. This is correct because the FTD’s self-signed certificate is not trusted by the application servers, causing SSL/TLS handshake failures and performance degradation from repeated certificate validation errors and renegotiation cycles. By exempting those specific IPs from inspection, you resolve connectivity and speed issues while maintaining security visibility for all other HTTPS traffic. On the Cisco SCOR 350-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of SSL inspection performance bypass strategies and the pitfalls of untrusted certificates in a Firepower Threat Defense deployment. A common trap is to assume you need to install the internal CA on the servers, but the question explicitly states the CA is not trusted, making a bypass rule the only practical fix. Memory tip: “Bypass the broken handshake, not the whole security policy.”
350-701 Network Security Practice Question
This 350-701 practice question tests your understanding of network security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A large enterprise uses Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) as its next-generation firewall. The network team recently deployed a new application that uses HTTPS for all communications. Users report that the application is slow and sometimes fails to load pages. The security team suspects that SSL inspection might be causing the issue. The FTD is configured with an SSL policy that decrypts all HTTPS traffic using a self-signed certificate. The internal CA is not trusted by the application servers. Which action should the engineer take to resolve the performance and connectivity issues while maintaining security visibility?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create an SSL decryption bypass rule for the specific application servers' IP addresses.
Option B is correct because the application servers do not trust the FTD's self-signed certificate, causing SSL/TLS handshake failures or performance degradation due to certificate validation errors and renegotiation. By creating an SSL decryption bypass rule for the specific application servers' IP addresses, the engineer exempts that traffic from inspection, resolving connectivity and performance issues while still inspecting other HTTPS traffic for security visibility.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Increase the SSL decryption resources by adding more FTD modules.
Why it's wrong here
Does not solve the certificate trust issue.
✓
Create an SSL decryption bypass rule for the specific application servers' IP addresses.
Why this is correct
Allows trusted traffic to pass without inspection, reducing load and avoiding certificate errors.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Install the internal CA certificate on all application servers.
Why it's wrong here
May be impractical and does not address the root cause on the firewall.
✗
Disable SSL inspection globally on the FTD.
Why it's wrong here
This removes security visibility for all HTTPS traffic.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that performance issues from SSL inspection are always due to resource exhaustion, leading candidates to choose scaling solutions (Option A) instead of recognizing that certificate trust mismatches cause handshake failures and retransmissions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SSL/TLS inspection on FTD works as a man-in-the-middle (MITM) proxy: the FTD terminates the client's TLS connection, re-encrypts traffic using its own certificate, and establishes a new TLS connection to the server. If the server does not trust the FTD's certificate (e.g., a self-signed cert not in the server's trust store), the server may reject the connection or cause TLS errors, leading to slow page loads or failures. A bypass rule exempts specific traffic from decryption, allowing the original TLS handshake to proceed end-to-end without inspection, which resolves the issue while preserving inspection for other traffic.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 350-701 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Network Security — This question tests Network Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an SSL decryption bypass rule for the specific application servers' IP addresses. — Option B is correct because the application servers do not trust the FTD's self-signed certificate, causing SSL/TLS handshake failures or performance degradation due to certificate validation errors and renegotiation. By creating an SSL decryption bypass rule for the specific application servers' IP addresses, the engineer exempts that traffic from inspection, resolving connectivity and performance issues while still inspecting other HTTPS traffic for security visibility.
What should I do if I get this 350-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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