FORTINET-NSE123 Practice Question: Nse 2 Technical Introduction TO Fortinet Security
When a FortiGate device inspects HTTPS traffic using deep inspection, how does the security engine handle the TLS/SSL encryption handshake between the client and the destination server?
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
✓
It acts as a man-in-the-middle, terminating the session and re-signing traffic with a local CA certificate
Deep inspection acts as a man-in-the-middle by terminating the client's SSL connection, presenting a re-signed certificate using a local CA, and opening a separate SSL connection to the destination server.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It strips all encryption permanently and forwards all internal traffic as plain text HTTP to the server
Why it's wrong here
The FortiGate re-encrypts traffic before sending it to the destination server to maintain end-to-end security.
- ✗
It inspects only the SNI (Server Name Indication) field in the unencrypted TLS Client Hello packet header
Why it's wrong here
Inspecting only the SNI is characteristic of certificate inspection, not deep inspection.
- ✓
It acts as a man-in-the-middle, terminating the session and re-signing traffic with a local CA certificate
Why this is correct
Deep inspection decrypts traffic by establishing two separate TLS sessions (client-to-FortiGate and FortiGate-to-server).
- ✗
It relies entirely on the destination web server's private key pre-configured in the firewall policy
Why it's wrong here
Servers do not share their private keys with firewalls; deep inspection uses a local CA.
About these practice questions
This FORTINET-NSE123 question is part of Courseiva's 296-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official Fortinet exam blueprint
This FORTINET-NSE123 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Fortinet 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 FORTINET-NSE123 exam.