Quick Answer
The answer is to enable logging on the firewall policy, create the policy with the correct source, destination, and service, and apply an antivirus profile. This is correct because a FortiGate firewall policy must explicitly permit SMTP traffic from the internal network (10.0.0.0/8) to the DMZ mail server (172.16.0.10) on TCP port 25, with the action set to ACCEPT; without this policy, the traffic is implicitly denied. The antivirus profile is then attached to scan the SMTP payload for threats, and logging must be enabled on the policy itself to capture session details for auditing. On the Fortinet NSE 4 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of policy-based security profiles and the distinction between enabling logging on the policy versus relying on default log settings—a common trap is forgetting to toggle logging on, as default logging is often disabled. A useful memory tip is “PAL”: Policy, Antivirus, Logging—each step is mandatory for a complete, auditable SMTP traffic flow.
NSE4 Firewall Policies and NAT Practice Question
This NSE4 practice question tests your understanding of firewall policies and nat. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 SMTP traffic (TCP port 25) from the internal network (10.0.0.0/8) to a mail server in the DMZ (172.16.0.10). The administrator wants to apply an antivirus profile and log all sessions. Which THREE configuration steps are required?
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
Create a firewall policy with source: 10.0.0.0/8, destination: 172.16.0.10, service: SMTP, action: ACCEPT
Option B is correct because a firewall policy must be created to allow SMTP traffic from the internal network (10.0.0.0/8) to the DMZ mail server (172.16.0.10) on TCP port 25. The policy must specify the source, destination, service (SMTP), and action (ACCEPT) to permit the traffic. Without this policy, the traffic would be blocked by default.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume NAT is required for any traffic leaving a private network, but in FortiGate, NAT is only needed when the destination is on a different network segment that requires source address translation, such as the internet, not for internal-to-DMZ traffic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In FortiGate, firewall policies are stateful and control traffic based on source, destination, service, and action. When applying an antivirus profile, the FortiGate performs deep packet inspection on SMTP traffic, scanning for malware in email attachments. Logging all sessions is enabled via the 'Log All Sessions' option in the policy, which records every connection attempt, including allowed and denied traffic, for auditing and troubleshooting.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this NSE4 question test?
Firewall Policies and NAT — This question tests Firewall Policies and NAT — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a firewall policy with source: 10.0.0.0/8, destination: 172.16.0.10, service: SMTP, action: ACCEPT — Option B is correct because a firewall policy must be created to allow SMTP traffic from the internal network (10.0.0.0/8) to the DMZ mail server (172.16.0.10) on TCP port 25. The policy must specify the source, destination, service (SMTP), and action (ACCEPT) to permit the traffic. Without this policy, the traffic would be blocked by default.
What should I do if I get this NSE4 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
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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