NSE7 Advanced Threat Protection Practice Question
A network admin is troubleshooting why FortiGate's antivirus is not detecting a known malware sample. The sample is detected by other scanners. Which two checks should the admin perform? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse 'file filter' exclusions with antivirus signature exclusions, or assume proxy-based inspection is mandatory for antivirus, when in fact flow-based inspection also supports antivirus scanning.
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
✓
Verify that the FortiGuard Antivirus subscription is active
FortiGate's antivirus engine relies on a valid FortiGuard Antivirus subscription to download and update the virus signature database. If the subscription has expired, the engine cannot receive new signatures, causing it to miss recently discovered malware samples that other scanners with active subscriptions detect.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Verify that the FortiGuard Antivirus subscription is active
Why this is correct
Without a valid subscription, signatures are not updated.
- ✗
Check that the file is not excluded by a file filter
Why it's wrong here
File filter would block the file, not cause missed detection.
- ✗
Ensure the firewall policy is configured for proxy-based inspection
Why it's wrong here
Both flow and proxy can detect known malware.
- ✓
Check the antivirus database version against the latest available
Why this is correct
An outdated database may miss recent malware.
- ✗
Confirm that the antivirus profile has 'Scan on Delivery' enabled
Why it's wrong here
Scan on Delivery is not a standard setting in FortiGate antivirus profiles.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This NSE7 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 NSE7 exam.