The correct answer is to enable the IPS sensor in the firewall policy and add the SQL.Injection signature to the IPS sensor with the action set to block. This works because FortiGate’s Intrusion Prevention System relies on signature-based detection; the SQL.Injection signature specifically identifies malicious SQL patterns in web traffic, and setting the action to block instructs the IPS to drop those packets immediately. On the Fortinet NSE 4 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how IPS profiles integrate with firewall policies—a common trap is thinking that enabling the IPS sensor alone is enough, but it must be explicitly applied to a policy to inspect inbound traffic. Remember the two-step rule: first configure the sensor with the correct signature and action, then attach it to the policy. A helpful memory tip is “Sensor + Policy = Protection,” ensuring you never forget that the policy is the enforcement point for the IPS profile.
NSE4 Security Profiles Practice Question
This NSE4 practice question tests your understanding of security profiles. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
An administrator is configuring an IPS profile on FortiGate to detect and block SQL injection attacks. The profile must be applied to inbound traffic to a web server. Which TWO settings should the administrator enable to achieve this goal? (Choose two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add the 'SQL.Injection' signature to the IPS sensor and set action to 'block'.
Option A is correct because SQL injection attacks are identified by specific IPS signatures, and adding 'SQL.Injection' to an IPS sensor with the action set to 'block' directly instructs FortiGate to detect and block those attacks. Option E is correct because an IPS sensor must be enabled within a firewall policy to apply its inspection to the traffic passing through that policy, ensuring the profile is active on inbound traffic to the web server.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Add the 'SQL.Injection' signature to the IPS sensor and set action to 'block'.
Why this is correct
The specific signature for SQL injection must be included and configured to block.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a DoS policy to limit the number of connections per second.
Why it's wrong here
DoS policy mitigates denial-of-service, not SQL injection.
✗
Enable the HTTP protocol decoder in the application control profile.
Why it's wrong here
Protocol decoders are for application control, not IPS. IPS uses signatures.
✗
Configure the IPS sensor to bypass traffic from trusted IP addresses.
Why it's wrong here
Bypass would skip inspection, not detect attacks.
✓
Enable the IPS sensor in the firewall policy.
Why this is correct
The IPS sensor must be applied to the firewall policy to inspect traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse DoS policies (rate limiting) with IPS (signature-based detection), or mistakenly think application control profiles handle IPS signatures, when in fact IPS sensors are separate and must be explicitly enabled in a firewall policy.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
FortiGate IPS uses protocol decoders (e.g., HTTP, FTP) to normalize traffic before pattern matching against signatures; the HTTP decoder is implicitly enabled when HTTP-related signatures are used in an IPS sensor. In a real-world scenario, an administrator must ensure the IPS sensor is attached to a firewall policy with the correct action (e.g., 'accept') and that the policy's 'inspection mode' is set to 'proxy-based' or 'flow-based' depending on the signature requirements, as some signatures require proxy-based inspection for full payload analysis.
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security Profiles — This question tests Security Profiles — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add the 'SQL.Injection' signature to the IPS sensor and set action to 'block'. — Option A is correct because SQL injection attacks are identified by specific IPS signatures, and adding 'SQL.Injection' to an IPS sensor with the action set to 'block' directly instructs FortiGate to detect and block those attacks. Option E is correct because an IPS sensor must be enabled within a firewall policy to apply its inspection to the traffic passing through that policy, ensuring the profile is active on inbound traffic to the web server.
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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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.
Question Discussion
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