The correct firewall policy is Source: internal, Destination: port1, Service: HTTP/HTTPS, Action: ACCEPT. This configuration is correct because a FortiGate firewall policy for outbound web traffic must match the traffic’s ingress interface (internal) to its egress interface (port1), with the service restricted to HTTP and HTTPS to permit only web browsing while blocking other protocols. On the Fortinet NSE 4 Network Security Professional NSE4 exam, this question tests your understanding of stateful inspection flow and interface-based policy logic, where the source interface is always the one receiving traffic and the destination interface is the one forwarding it out. A common trap is confusing the destination interface with the destination IP address—remember, the policy’s destination interface is the physical egress port, not the remote server’s address. A helpful memory tip: “Source in, destination out, service locks the route.”
NSE4 System and Network Administration Practice Question
This NSE4 practice question tests your understanding of system and network administration. 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.
An administrator needs to configure a FortiGate to allow web traffic from the internal network to the Internet. The internal network is 192.168.1.0/24 and the WAN interface is port1 with IP 203.0.113.1. Which firewall policy is correct?
Option A is correct because the firewall policy must match traffic originating from the internal network (source: internal) destined for the Internet via the WAN interface (destination: port1), and the service must be restricted to HTTP/HTTPS to allow web traffic only. The action ACCEPT permits the traffic. This aligns with the standard stateful inspection flow where source and destination interfaces are defined based on traffic direction.
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.
This would allow inbound web traffic, not outbound.
✗
Source: internal, Destination: port1, Service: ALL, Action: ACCEPT
Why it's wrong here
Allowing all services is overly permissive and not a best practice.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the source and destination interfaces in a policy, thinking the destination should be the internal network instead of the WAN interface for outbound traffic, or they select Service: ALL to avoid missing any protocol, ignoring the requirement for web traffic only.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
FortiGate firewall policies are unidirectional and based on interface pairs; the source interface is where traffic enters, and the destination interface is where it exits. For outbound web traffic, the policy must specify the internal interface as source and the WAN interface as destination. The service object HTTP/HTTPS maps to TCP ports 80 and 443, and using a more specific service reduces the attack surface. In real-world scenarios, administrators often mistakenly allow all services (like in option D) for simplicity, which can lead to security breaches.
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.
System and Network Administration — This question tests System and Network Administration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Source: internal, Destination: port1, Service: HTTP/HTTPS, Action: ACCEPT — Option A is correct because the firewall policy must match traffic originating from the internal network (source: internal) destined for the Internet via the WAN interface (destination: port1), and the service must be restricted to HTTP/HTTPS to allow web traffic only. The action ACCEPT permits the traffic. This aligns with the standard stateful inspection flow where source and destination interfaces are defined based on traffic direction.
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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Question Discussion
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