NSE7 Enterprise Firewall and VDOMs Practice Question
An administrator configures a firewall policy with an application control profile to block social media. The administrator observes that some social media traffic is still passing through. The traffic is HTTPS. What additional configuration is REQUIRED for application control to effectively block HTTPS-based social media?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates think proxy-based inspection alone is sufficient for HTTPS traffic, but without SSL decryption, the firewall cannot inspect the encrypted payload, so application control signatures are ineffective.
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 'ssl-ssh-profile' with deep inspection on the policy
Application control requires visibility into the application layer to identify HTTPS-based traffic. Without SSL inspection, the firewall cannot decrypt the HTTPS payload to inspect the application signatures. Enabling an 'ssl-ssh-profile' with deep inspection on the policy allows the FortiGate to decrypt the traffic, apply the application control profile, and effectively block social media applications.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Set application control to proxy-based inspection
Why it's wrong here
Proxy-based inspection decrypts HTTPS so application signatures can identify social media inside the TLS session; without it, encrypted traffic bypasses the profile. It is tempting because proxy inspection is genuinely required for outbound SSL decryption scenarios, but the stem asks which setting enables application control to see HTTPS at all, not the inspection mode itself.
- ✗
Enable 'allow-ssl-inspection' under system settings
Why it's wrong here
SSL inspection must be enabled so the firewall can decrypt HTTPS and match application signatures; without it, encrypted social media traffic bypasses the profile. The setting is tempting because it sounds security-related, but it governs certificate handling for inspection, not decryption itself, so it would be correct only where inspection is already active.
- ✗
Add a DNS filter to block social media domains
Why it's wrong here
DNS filtering blocks resolution of social media domains but not direct IP connections or hardcoded endpoints, so HTTPS traffic still passes. It would be correct for blocking known domains at the resolution stage, not for identifying applications inside encrypted sessions.
- ✓
Enable 'ssl-ssh-profile' with deep inspection on the policy
Why this is correct
Application control cannot identify social media applications inside encrypted HTTPS sessions without visibility into the payload. Attaching an SSL inspection profile with deep inspection to the policy decrypts the traffic, letting the application signatures match and block it.
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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.