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350-701 Practice Question: Which THREE of the following are valid…
Which THREE of the following are valid characteristics of a next-generation firewall (NGFW) compared to a traditional stateful firewall? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that NAT and VPNs are exclusive to NGFWs, when in fact they are common features of both traditional stateful firewalls and NGFWs.
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
✓
Decryption and inspection of SSL/TLS traffic
A is correct because NGFWs can perform SSL/TLS decryption and inspection, allowing them to examine encrypted traffic for threats. Traditional stateful firewalls only inspect packet headers and state information, leaving encrypted payloads unexamined. This capability is critical for detecting malware or data exfiltration hidden in HTTPS sessions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Decryption and inspection of SSL/TLS traffic
Why this is correct
NGFWs can decrypt encrypted traffic for inspection.
- ✓
Application identification regardless of port
Why this is correct
NGFWs use deep packet inspection to identify applications.
- ✗
Support for network address translation (NAT)
Why it's wrong here
Both NGFWs and traditional firewalls support NAT.
- ✗
Support for site-to-site VPNs
Why it's wrong here
Both types support site-to-site VPNs.
- ✓
Integrated intrusion prevention system (IPS)
Why this is correct
NGFWs combine firewall and IPS capabilities.
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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.