Inbound HTTPS with VIP and Application Control
A FortiGate admin needs to allow inbound HTTPS traffic to a web server while also applying an application control profile to block certain web applications. The web server has a VIP configured. Which TWO components are necessary for this configuration?
Quick Answer
The answer is a firewall policy with the destination set to the VIP and an application control profile applied. This configuration is necessary because the Virtual IP (VIP) translates the public destination address to the web server’s private IP, allowing inbound HTTPS traffic to reach the internal server, while the application control profile on the same policy enforces the blocking of specific web applications within that traffic. On the Fortinet NSE 4 Network Security Professional exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how VIPs and application control profiles must be combined in a single firewall policy—not separate policies—to inspect and filter application-layer traffic. A common trap is assuming a VIP alone handles security or that application control can be applied on a different policy; in reality, both components must coexist on the same rule for the profile to inspect the decrypted HTTPS stream. Memory tip: think “VIP maps the address, App Control polices the payload—same policy, same flow.”
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates think a central SNAT rule is required for return traffic, but FortiGate automatically handles reverse NAT for VIP traffic, making option A a common distractor.
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
✓
A VIP configured to map the public IP to the web server's private IP
A Virtual IP (VIP) is required to map the public IP address to the web server's private IP, allowing inbound traffic to reach the internal server. Option E is correct because a firewall policy must have the destination set to the VIP and must include an application control profile to enforce blocking of specific web applications on the HTTPS traffic.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
A central SNAT rule to translate the server's response
Why it's wrong here
A central SNAT rule rewrites source addresses for outbound flows; inbound VIP traffic is destination-NATed, and the firewall policy handles the return path without it. Central SNAT is the right component when outbound sessions from internal hosts need source translation or specific egress IP selection.
- ✓
A VIP configured to map the public IP to the web server's private IP
Why this is correct
The VIP performs destination NAT, translating the public IP to the web server's private IP so inbound HTTPS connections reach the internal host. This satisfies the stem's requirement by providing the address translation the firewall policy references as its destination.
- ✗
A security profile group containing only the antivirus profile
Why it's wrong here
A profile group containing only antivirus omits the application control profile the scenario explicitly requires, so the specified web applications are never blocked. Profile groups are the correct component when several security profiles must be applied together to one policy, for example pairing antivirus with web filtering.
- ✗
A traffic shaping policy to prioritize HTTPS
Why it's wrong here
Traffic shaping prioritises bandwidth allocation; it neither permits inbound HTTPS through the VIP nor attaches the application control profile that inspects the traffic. Shaping would be the right component when the requirement is to guarantee or limit throughput for specific flows, such as throttling bulk downloads during business hours.
- ✓
A firewall policy with destination set to the VIP and application control profile applied
Why this is correct
The firewall policy binds the VIP as destination with the application control profile attached, so inbound HTTPS reaches the web server while the profile inspects and blocks the specified web applications. This satisfies the stem's requirement to combine traffic delivery with application filtering.
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on NSE4
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An admin needs to allow inbound SMTP traffic from the internet to a mail server in the DMZ. The public IP is 203.0.113.10, and the mail server's private IP is 10.0.0.5. Which VIP configuration is correct?
medium- ✓ A.VIP: external IP 203.0.113.10 port 25 -> internal IP 10.0.0.5 port 25
- B.VIP: external IP 203.0.113.10 port 25 -> internal IP 10.0.0.5 port 80
- C.VIP: external IP 203.0.113.10 all ports -> internal IP 10.0.0.5 all ports
- D.VIP: external IP 203.0.113.10 port 80 -> internal IP 10.0.0.5 port 80
Why A: It configures a Virtual IP (VIP) that maps the public IP 203.0.113.10 on TCP port 25 (SMTP) to the internal mail server IP 10.0.0.5 on port 25. This allows inbound SMTP traffic from the internet to reach the mail server in the DMZ, performing both destination NAT (DNAT) and port forwarding for the specific SMTP service.
Variation 2. An admin needs to allow traffic from a specific IP to a web server on port 8080. The web server is behind a VIP that forwards port 80 to port 8080. When configuring the security policy, which destination should be used?
medium- A.The virtual IP address of the FortiGate
- B.The real server IP address
- ✓ C.The VIP object
- D.Any destination, because the VIP translates automatically
Why C: When a VIP is used to translate the destination IP and port (e.g., from public IP:80 to private server IP:8080), the security policy must reference the VIP object as the destination. FortiGate matches the policy using the original destination IP before destination NAT is applied. The VIP object represents the original destination (the external IP) that clients use, so referencing it ensures the policy correctly permits the traffic.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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