- A
Disable deep inspection on the policy
Why wrong: This would stop inspection for all traffic, which may not be desired.
- B
Change the policy action to DENY
Why wrong: Denying access is not the goal; they want to allow access.
- C
Disable certificate validation in the SSL/SSH profile
Why wrong: Disabling validation might allow the connection but would weaken security and is not recommended; it also does not fix the underlying certificate trust issue.
- D
Import the server's self-signed certificate into FortiGate's trusted CA list
If FortiGate trusts the server's CA (or the certificate itself), it can establish the inspection without certificate errors.
- E
Add the server's IP address to the SSL/SSH profile's exemption list
Exempting the server from inspection will allow access without certificate errors, but inspection is bypassed.
Quick Answer
The answer is to add the server’s IP address to the SSL/SSH profile’s exemption list. This is correct because SSL deep inspection cannot validate a self-signed certificate against a trusted Certificate Authority, causing the FortiGate to block the connection as untrusted. By exempting the server’s IP from inspection, traffic flows without decryption, while the alternative is to import the self-signed certificate as a trusted CA so deep inspection can validate it. On the Fortinet NSE 4 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how deep inspection handles untrusted certificates—a common trap is assuming you must always inspect everything, but the exemption list is the quick fix for internal servers. Remember the mnemonic “Self-Signed = Skip or Sign” to recall you either skip inspection via exemption or sign the certificate as trusted.
NSE4 Security Profiles Practice Question
This NSE4 practice question tests your understanding of security profiles. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 FortiGate administrator is troubleshooting an issue where users cannot access an internal HTTPS server (10.10.10.10:443) after enabling SSL deep inspection. The administrator sees that the server's certificate is self-signed. Which TWO actions should the administrator take to allow access while maintaining inspection?
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
Import the server's self-signed certificate into FortiGate's trusted CA list
To allow inspection of a server with a self-signed certificate, you need to either add the server to the exemption list in the SSL/SSH profile (so it is not inspected) or import the server's CA certificate and add it as a trusted CA so that deep inspection can validate the certificate.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Disable deep inspection on the policy
Why it's wrong here
This would stop inspection for all traffic, which may not be desired.
- ✗
Change the policy action to DENY
Why it's wrong here
Denying access is not the goal; they want to allow access.
- ✗
Disable certificate validation in the SSL/SSH profile
Why it's wrong here
Disabling validation might allow the connection but would weaken security and is not recommended; it also does not fix the underlying certificate trust issue.
- ✓
Import the server's self-signed certificate into FortiGate's trusted CA list
Why this is correct
If FortiGate trusts the server's CA (or the certificate itself), it can establish the inspection without certificate errors.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- ✓
Add the server's IP address to the SSL/SSH profile's exemption list
Why this is correct
Exempting the server from inspection will allow access without certificate errors, but inspection is bypassed.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
- The first matching ACL entry is used.
- There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
- Check inbound versus outbound direction.
- Read the ACL from top to bottom.
- Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related NSE4 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
- →
Security Profiles — study guide chapter
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Security Profiles practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this NSE4 question test?
Security Profiles — This question tests Security Profiles — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Import the server's self-signed certificate into FortiGate's trusted CA list — To allow inspection of a server with a self-signed certificate, you need to either add the server to the exemption list in the SSL/SSH profile (so it is not inspected) or import the server's CA certificate and add it as a trusted CA so that deep inspection can validate the certificate.
What should I do if I get this NSE4 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related NSE4 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
3 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. A FortiGate administrator receives reports that users cannot access a legitimate website that uses HTTPS. The web filtering profile is configured with strict FortiGuard categories and 'monitor all' for unknown sites. The firewall policy has an SSL/SSH inspection profile set to 'deep-inspection'. What is the most likely cause of the issue?
hard- ✓ A.The website uses a self-signed certificate which is not trusted by the FortiGate CA bundle
- B.The antivirus profile is blocking a file on the website
- C.The DNS filter is blocking the domain
- D.The website's FortiGuard category is set to 'block'
Why A: When deep inspection is enabled, the FortiGate decrypts and re-encrypts traffic. If the website's certificate is not trusted by the FortiGate (e.g., self-signed or issuer not in CA bundle), the connection may fail.
Variation 2. A network administrator notices that users cannot access HTTPS websites after enabling SSL inspection. The firewall policy allows the traffic, and the certificate is trusted on the clients. What is the most likely cause?
medium- ✓ A.The CA certificate used for SSL inspection is not trusted by the clients.
- B.The client's browser has a proxy configured incorrectly.
- C.The firewall policy has SSL inspection disabled.
- D.The DNS server is not resolving the domain names.
Why A: Option A is correct because the most likely cause is that the CA certificate used for SSL inspection is not trusted by the clients. Even if the firewall policy allows the traffic and the certificate is trusted on the clients, if the CA certificate used to generate the inspection certificate is not trusted, the clients will not trust the certificate presented by the firewall, resulting in HTTPS access failures.
Variation 3. An administrator configures SSL deep inspection with a CA certificate. Users accessing an internal site (internal.company.com) receive a certificate error. The administrator wants to avoid the error without disabling deep inspection. What should be done?
hard- A.Replace the CA certificate with a self-signed one
- B.Use certificate inspection instead of deep inspection
- C.Disable certificate validation in the deep inspection profile
- ✓ D.Add internal.company.com to the SSL/SSH inspection exemption list
Why D: Option A is correct. The exemption list allows certain domains to bypass deep inspection, preserving trust.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
This NSE4 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 NSE4 exam.
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