The answer is to install a Certificate Authority (CA) certificate on the WSA and distribute it to client devices. This is the mandatory first step for Cisco WSA HTTPS decryption because the appliance functions as a transparent proxy, generating a unique, signed certificate for each intercepted HTTPS session. Without the CA certificate residing in the clients’ trusted root store, browsers will reject the WSA’s dynamically created certificates as untrusted, triggering security warnings and blocking the connection entirely. On the Cisco SCOR 350-701 exam, this concept tests your understanding of SSL decryption trust models and is a frequent distractor trap—candidates often mistakenly choose “enable HTTPS proxy” or “create an access policy” first, but the CA must be installed before any decryption can occur. Remember the mnemonic “CA before Decrypt” to anchor the sequence: the Certificate Authority must be trusted by clients before the WSA can safely intercept and inspect encrypted traffic.
350-701 Content Security Practice Question
This 350-701 practice question tests your understanding of content security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 network administrator needs to configure Cisco WSA to decrypt HTTPS traffic for inspection. What is the first step that must be completed?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Install a Certificate Authority (CA) certificate on the WSA and distribute it to clients
The first step in configuring Cisco WSA for HTTPS decryption is to install a Certificate Authority (CA) certificate on the WSA and distribute it to client devices. This establishes trust because the WSA acts as a man-in-the-middle, generating a new certificate for each HTTPS session signed by this CA; without the CA certificate in the clients' trusted root store, browsers will display certificate warnings and block the connection.
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.
✗
Create a bypass list for internal sites
Why it's wrong here
Bypass is configured after decryption is enabled.
✗
Configure an Access Control List (ACL) to allow decryption
Why it's wrong here
ACLs are not the first step; they are for firewall rules.
✓
Install a Certificate Authority (CA) certificate on the WSA and distribute it to clients
Why this is correct
This allows the WSA to act as a trusted man-in-the-middle.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure user authentication
Why it's wrong here
Authentication is separate from decryption setup.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that you first need to configure an ACL or bypass list before installing the CA certificate, but the fundamental prerequisite is establishing trust through certificate installation, otherwise decryption cannot function at all.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the WSA generates a root CA certificate during initial setup (or an administrator can import an enterprise CA). When a client makes an HTTPS request, the WSA intercepts the TCP handshake, establishes a separate TLS session with the destination server, and then creates a spoofed certificate on-the-fly signed by the installed CA for the client. This process relies on the client trusting the WSA's CA; if the CA certificate is not distributed via Group Policy or manually, the decryption will fail with certificate errors. In real-world deployments, administrators often use an internal PKI to avoid browser warnings and ensure seamless inspection.
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 security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
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.
Content Security — This question tests Content Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Install a Certificate Authority (CA) certificate on the WSA and distribute it to clients — The first step in configuring Cisco WSA for HTTPS decryption is to install a Certificate Authority (CA) certificate on the WSA and distribute it to client devices. This establishes trust because the WSA acts as a man-in-the-middle, generating a new certificate for each HTTPS session signed by this CA; without the CA certificate in the clients' trusted root store, browsers will display certificate warnings and block the connection.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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