CAS-004 Security Architecture Practice Question
A security architect is evaluating a SASE solution. Which component of SASE is primarily responsible for inspecting encrypted traffic for threats?
⚠ Common exam trap
CAS-005 often tests the SASE component mapping; candidates confuse ZTNA (access to private apps) with SWG (inspection of outbound web traffic), or assume NGFW handles all inspection in a SASE model.
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
✓
Secure web gateway (SWG)
The Secure Web Gateway (SWG) is the SASE component that proxies outbound user web traffic and performs full TLS inspection, URL filtering, malware scanning, and DLP on decrypted content. Because it terminates and re-originates TLS sessions, it can inspect encrypted traffic for threats. This is its core function within the SASE stack.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
Why it's wrong here
ZTNA brokers identity-based access to specific internal applications, verifying users and devices before granting connectivity; it authorises sessions rather than decrypting traffic to scan for malware. Secure web gateway and firewall-as-a-service do that inspection. ZTNA fits replacing VPN with per-application access, not threat inspection.
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Next-generation firewall (NGFW)
Why it's wrong here
An NGFW inspects traffic at a network chokepoint and enforces policy, but SASE's encrypted-traffic threat inspection is delivered by the secure web gateway, which performs TLS decryption and content scanning. NGFW would be correct for perimeter segmentation and intrusion prevention on-premises, not for cloud-delivered SWG inspection.
- ✓
Secure web gateway (SWG)
Why this is correct
The secure web gateway performs full TLS inspection, decrypting outbound sessions, applying URL filtering, malware scanning and data-loss rules, then re-encrypting traffic. That decryption capability is what lets SASE inspect encrypted traffic for threats, unlike components such as SD-WAN or zero-trust network access.
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SD-WAN edge
Why it's wrong here
SD-WAN edge handles path selection, traffic steering and WAN optimisation; it forwards packets and does not decrypt and inspect payloads for threats. SWG and FWaaS perform that inspection. SD-WAN would be the right answer when the requirement is dynamic link selection or application-aware routing across branches.
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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 CompTIA exam blueprint
This CAS-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 CAS-005 exam.