The correct answer is the firewall policy configuration that sets the source to any, destination 10.0.0.100, service any, action accept, enables authentication, sets auth-type to LDAP, and restricts the allowed groups to "LDAP-Users". This configuration is necessary because it combines two critical security controls: requiring LDAP authentication to verify user identity, and then applying a group restriction to ensure only members of the specific LDAP group can access the sensitive server. Without the group restriction, any successfully authenticated LDAP user could reach 10.0.0.100, which fails the requirement to limit access to only authorized users. On the Fortinet NSE 4 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to integrate LDAP authentication directly into a firewall policy rather than relying solely on a captive portal or separate authentication rules. A common trap is forgetting to specify the auth-type or the group field, leaving the policy open to all authenticated users. Memory tip: think "Auth + Group = Locked Door" — authentication opens the door, but the group restriction decides who gets the key.
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 wants to restrict access to a sensitive server (10.0.0.100) such that only users who authenticate via LDAP can access it. Which firewall policy configuration is required?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Policy: source any, destination 10.0.0.100, service any, action accept, enable authentication, set auth-type LDAP, set groups "LDAP-Users"
Option C is correct because it combines the required firewall policy elements: enabling authentication, setting the authentication type to LDAP, and restricting access to members of the LDAP group 'LDAP-Users'. This ensures that only users who successfully authenticate via LDAP and belong to the specified group can reach the sensitive server at 10.0.0.100. Without the group restriction, any authenticated LDAP user could access the server, which does not meet the requirement of restricting access to only authenticated users.
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.
✗
Policy: source any, destination 10.0.0.100, service any, action accept
Why it's wrong here
No authentication is configured.
✗
Policy: source any, destination 10.0.0.100, service any, action accept, enable authentication, set auth-type LDAP
Why it's wrong here
Missing user group reference.
✓
Policy: source any, destination 10.0.0.100, service any, action accept, enable authentication, set auth-type LDAP, set groups "LDAP-Users"
Why this is correct
This configures authentication with LDAP and specifies the group.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often think enabling authentication alone is sufficient, but they overlook the critical need to specify a group to restrict access to only the intended subset of authenticated users.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When LDAP authentication is enabled on a FortiGate firewall policy, the FortiGate acts as an LDAP client and prompts the user for credentials (usually via a web portal or pop-up). The policy then checks the user's group membership against the configured LDAP group filter; only users whose LDAP entry matches the specified group are allowed through. This is distinct from FSSO, which relies on a domain controller to pre-authenticate users and does not require the user to re-enter credentials at the firewall.
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.
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: Policy: source any, destination 10.0.0.100, service any, action accept, enable authentication, set auth-type LDAP, set groups "LDAP-Users" — Option C is correct because it combines the required firewall policy elements: enabling authentication, setting the authentication type to LDAP, and restricting access to members of the LDAP group 'LDAP-Users'. This ensures that only users who successfully authenticate via LDAP and belong to the specified group can reach the sensitive server at 10.0.0.100. Without the group restriction, any authenticated LDAP user could access the server, which does not meet the requirement of restricting access to only authenticated users.
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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