This NSE4 practice question tests your understanding of system and network administration. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 needs to allow remote management of a FortiGate from the internet. Which administrative access protocols should be enabled on the WAN interface? (Choose the best single answer.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Ping and SNMP
Why wrong: Ping is for testing reachability, SNMP is for monitoring, not for management access.
HTTP and Telnet
Why wrong: These protocols are insecure and not recommended for remote management.
FTP and TFTP
Why wrong: These are file transfer protocols, not management access.
HTTPS and SSH
HTTPS and SSH provide encrypted access for web and CLI management.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
HTTPS and SSH
HTTPS (port 443) and SSH (port 22) are the only secure administrative access protocols that provide encrypted communication for remote management over the internet. HTTP and Telnet transmit credentials and data in plaintext, making them unsuitable for WAN-facing interfaces. FortiGate best practices mandate disabling all insecure protocols on external interfaces and enabling only HTTPS and SSH for administrative access.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Ping and SNMP
Why it's wrong here
Ping is for testing reachability, SNMP is for monitoring, not for management access.
HTTP and Telnet
Why it's wrong here
These protocols are insecure and not recommended for remote management.
FTP and TFTP
Why it's wrong here
These are file transfer protocols, not management access.
HTTPS and SSH
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'administrative access' with 'monitoring or file transfer protocols' (e.g., SNMP, FTP) or fail to recognize that HTTP and Telnet are insecure for internet-facing interfaces, leading them to choose options that include unencrypted protocols.
Detailed technical explanation
FortiGate administrative access protocols are controlled per interface via the `config system interface` CLI, where the `set allowaccess` command specifies which protocols (e.g., https, ssh, ping, snmp, http, telnet) are permitted. When HTTPS is enabled, the FortiGate uses TLS 1.2/1.3 to encrypt the web management session, and SSH uses the SSH-2 protocol for encrypted CLI access. In a real-world scenario, an administrator might also restrict source IP addresses using trusted hosts to further secure the WAN interface, but the question focuses solely on protocol selection.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the NSE4 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
System and Network Administration — This question tests System and Network Administration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: HTTPS and SSH — HTTPS (port 443) and SSH (port 22) are the only secure administrative access protocols that provide encrypted communication for remote management over the internet. HTTP and Telnet transmit credentials and data in plaintext, making them unsuitable for WAN-facing interfaces. FortiGate best practices mandate disabling all insecure protocols on external interfaces and enabling only HTTPS and SSH for administrative access.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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