This NSE4 practice question tests your understanding of firewall policies and nat. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
config firewall policy
edit 1
set name "Allow-Internet"
set srcintf "internal"
set dstintf "wan1"
set srcaddr "all"
set dstaddr "all"
set action accept
set schedule "always"
set service "ALL"
set nat enable
set logtraffic all
next
edit 2
set name "Block-SSH"
set srcintf "internal"
set dstintf "wan1"
set srcaddr "all"
set dstaddr "all"
set action deny
set schedule "always"
set service "SSH"
set logtraffic all
next
end
Given the exhibit, a user in the internal network tries to SSH to a public server (203.0.113.10). What will happen and why?
Refer to the exhibit.
config firewall policy
edit 1
set name "Allow-Internet"
set srcintf "internal"
set dstintf "wan1"
set srcaddr "all"
set dstaddr "all"
set action accept
set schedule "always"
set service "ALL"
set nat enable
set logtraffic all
next
edit 2
set name "Block-SSH"
set srcintf "internal"
set dstintf "wan1"
set srcaddr "all"
set dstaddr "all"
set action deny
set schedule "always"
set service "SSH"
set logtraffic all
next
end
A
The SSH connection will succeed because policy 1 allows all services before policy 2 is evaluated.
Policy 1 matches all traffic from internal to wan1, so SSH is allowed before reaching the deny policy.
B
The SSH connection will succeed because policy 2 is evaluated first.
Why wrong: Policies are evaluated from top to bottom; policy 1 is first.
C
The SSH connection will be blocked because policy 2 explicitly denies SSH.
Why wrong: Firewall policies are evaluated in order; policy 1 (allow all) is before policy 2 (deny SSH), so policy 1 matches first and allows the traffic.
D
The SSH connection will be blocked because policy 1 does not include SSH service specifically.
Why wrong: Policy 1 uses service 'ALL', which includes SSH. The issue is the order.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The SSH connection will succeed because policy 1 allows all services before policy 2 is evaluated.
Policy 1 is an implicit allow-all rule that matches all traffic before policy 2 is evaluated. Since FortiGate processes policies in sequential order from top to bottom, the SSH connection to 203.0.113.10 matches policy 1 first, which permits all services, including SSH. Therefore, the connection succeeds without ever reaching policy 2.
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.
✓
The SSH connection will succeed because policy 1 allows all services before policy 2 is evaluated.
Why this is correct
Policy 1 matches all traffic from internal to wan1, so SSH is allowed before reaching the deny policy.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The SSH connection will succeed because policy 2 is evaluated first.
Why it's wrong here
Policies are evaluated from top to bottom; policy 1 is first.
✗
The SSH connection will be blocked because policy 2 explicitly denies SSH.
Why it's wrong here
Firewall policies are evaluated in order; policy 1 (allow all) is before policy 2 (deny SSH), so policy 1 matches first and allows the traffic.
✗
The SSH connection will be blocked because policy 1 does not include SSH service specifically.
Why it's wrong here
Policy 1 uses service 'ALL', which includes SSH. The issue is the order.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume a deny rule later in the policy list will block traffic, forgetting that FortiGate uses first-match logic, so an earlier allow-all rule takes precedence.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
FortiGate firewall policies are evaluated in a top-down order, and the first matching policy determines the action (allow or deny). Policy 1 with 'ALL' services acts as a catch-all rule, overriding any subsequent deny rules for matching traffic. This behavior is critical in scenarios where you want to permit broad access but later add specific restrictions; the order of policies must be carefully managed to avoid unintended bypasses.
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.
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: The SSH connection will succeed because policy 1 allows all services before policy 2 is evaluated. — Policy 1 is an implicit allow-all rule that matches all traffic before policy 2 is evaluated. Since FortiGate processes policies in sequential order from top to bottom, the SSH connection to 203.0.113.10 matches policy 1 first, which permits all services, including SSH. Therefore, the connection succeeds without ever reaching policy 2.
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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