Question 520 of 1,000

System and Network Administration →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct configuration step is to enable HTTPS access on the WAN interface and create a firewall policy allowing inbound HTTPS from any to the FortiGate's IP. This two-part requirement exists because enabling HTTPS on the interface only tells the FortiGate to listen for management traffic, but without an explicit firewall policy, the implicit deny rule will still drop all incoming HTTPS packets from the internet. On the Fortinet NSE 4 exam, this question tests your understanding that interface-level service control and firewall policies are independent layers of security; a common trap is assuming that enabling HTTPS on the WAN interface alone is sufficient. Remember the memory tip: “Listen on the interface, allow through the policy”—the interface opens the door, but the policy lets traffic walk through.

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 remote management via HTTPS from the internet. Which configuration step is required?

Question 1easymultiple choice

Full question →

A
Create a firewall policy from WAN to LAN with HTTPS service and set action to ACCEPT.
Why wrong: This would allow HTTPS traffic through the FortiGate to internal servers, not to the FortiGate itself.
B
Enable SSH access on the WAN interface instead of HTTPS.
Why wrong: SSH is not HTTPS; the question specifies HTTPS.
C
Enable HTTPS access on the WAN interface and create a firewall policy allowing inbound HTTPS from any to the FortiGate's IP.
This allows HTTPS management from the internet by enabling the service on the interface and permitting traffic.
D
Configure a port forwarding rule to redirect HTTPS from WAN to the internal management IP.
Why wrong: Port forwarding would forward traffic to another internal host, not to the FortiGate's own management interface.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Enable HTTPS access on the WAN interface and create a firewall policy allowing inbound HTTPS from any to the FortiGate's IP.

Option C is correct because remote HTTPS management of a FortiGate from the internet requires two steps: enabling HTTPS access on the WAN interface (under config system interface) and creating a firewall policy that allows inbound HTTPS traffic (TCP/443) from any source to the FortiGate's own IP address. Without the explicit policy, the traffic is dropped by the implicit deny rule, even if the interface is configured to listen for HTTPS.

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.

✗
Create a firewall policy from WAN to LAN with HTTPS service and set action to ACCEPT.
Why it's wrong here
This would allow HTTPS traffic through the FortiGate to internal servers, not to the FortiGate itself.
✗
Enable SSH access on the WAN interface instead of HTTPS.
Why it's wrong here
SSH is not HTTPS; the question specifies HTTPS.
✓
Enable HTTPS access on the WAN interface and create a firewall policy allowing inbound HTTPS from any to the FortiGate's IP.
Why this is correct
This allows HTTPS management from the internet by enabling the service on the interface and permitting traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure a port forwarding rule to redirect HTTPS from WAN to the internal management IP.
Why it's wrong here
Port forwarding would forward traffic to another internal host, not to the FortiGate's own management interface.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates assume enabling HTTPS on the interface alone is sufficient, forgetting that FortiGate still requires an explicit firewall policy to permit inbound traffic to its own IP, as the implicit deny rule blocks all traffic not matched by a policy.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, the FortiGate's HTTPS daemon binds to the IP address of any interface where 'set allowaccess https' is configured. The firewall policy must explicitly permit traffic destined to the FortiGate's own IP (not to a subnet behind it) using a policy with destination set to 'FGT1' or the specific interface IP. In real-world deployments, administrators often restrict source IPs to trusted ranges and enable administrative access logging to audit management sessions.

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 security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.

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.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this NSE4 question test?

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: Enable HTTPS access on the WAN interface and create a firewall policy allowing inbound HTTPS from any to the FortiGate's IP. — Option C is correct because remote HTTPS management of a FortiGate from the internet requires two steps: enabling HTTPS access on the WAN interface (under config system interface) and creating a firewall policy that allows inbound HTTPS traffic (TCP/443) from any source to the FortiGate's own IP address. Without the explicit policy, the traffic is dropped by the implicit deny rule, even if the interface is configured to listen for HTTPS.

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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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on NSE4

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. 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.)

easy

A.Ping and SNMP
B.HTTP and Telnet
C.FTP and TFTP
✓ D.HTTPS and SSH

Why D: 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.

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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.