NSE7 Advanced Threat Protection Practice Question
An organization uses FortiMail and wants to validate that incoming emails are from legitimate senders by checking the sender's domain against a published policy. Which two email authentication mechanisms can FortiMail use? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse DMARC as an authentication mechanism when it is actually a policy framework that relies on SPF and DKIM results, leading them to select options that include DMARC instead of the two core authentication protocols.
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
✓
SPF and DKIM
FortiMail can use SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) to validate that incoming emails originate from legitimate senders by checking the sender's domain against a published policy. SPF verifies that the sending IP address is authorized by the domain's DNS TXT record, while DKIM uses a digital signature in the email header that can be validated against a public key published in the sender's DNS. Both mechanisms allow FortiMail to authenticate the sender's domain before accepting the message.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
DKIM and DMARC
Why it's wrong here
DMARC is not authentication.
- ✗
STARTTLS and SPF
Why it's wrong here
STARTTLS is encryption, not authentication.
- ✗
DMARC and SPF
Why it's wrong here
DMARC is a policy, not an authentication mechanism.
- ✓
SPF and DKIM
Why this is correct
SPF verifies the sending IP, DKIM verifies the signature.
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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.