NSE7 Advanced Threat Protection Practice Question
An admin wants to ensure that office documents (e.g., Word, Excel) downloaded from the internet are safe before users open them. Which feature should be used to remove potentially malicious macros and active content?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse CDR with sandboxing or signature-based detection, mistakenly thinking that analyzing or scanning a file is sufficient to ensure safety, when in fact only CDR actively removes the threat vector (macros/active content) from the document itself.
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
✓
Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR)
Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) is the correct feature because it proactively removes potentially malicious macros, scripts, and active content from office documents by stripping the original file's active elements and rebuilding a safe, sanitized version. Unlike detection-based methods, CDR eliminates threats before the file reaches the user, ensuring that even unknown or zero-day macro-based attacks are neutralized.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Machine learning engine
Why it's wrong here
ML can detect but not disarm active content.
- ✓
Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR)
Why this is correct
CDR strips active content like macros, scripts, and embedded objects from documents.
- ✗
Antivirus pattern matching
Why it's wrong here
Signature-based AV may miss unknown macros.
- ✗
FortiSandbox file submission
Why it's wrong here
Sandboxing is reactive and may not catch all threats before user opens the file.
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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.