The answer is to enable an ssl-ssh-profile with deep inspection on the policy. This is required because application control relies on identifying application signatures within the payload, and HTTPS encrypts that payload, rendering the firewall blind to the traffic. Without SSL inspection, the FortiGate sees only encrypted tunnels, not the social media applications flowing through them, so the application control profile cannot match or block the traffic. On the Fortinet NSE 7 Advanced Security NSE7 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that application control and SSL inspection are interdependent—a common trap is assuming a standard application control profile alone can block HTTPS-based social media. Remember the key chain: no decryption, no detection. A useful memory tip is “SSL first, block next”—deep inspection must precede application control for encrypted traffic.
NSE7 Enterprise Firewall and VDOMs Practice Question
This NSE7 practice question tests your understanding of enterprise firewall and vdoms. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
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?
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.
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.
✗
Set application control to proxy-based inspection
Why it's wrong here
Proxy-based inspection alone does not decrypt HTTPS; SSL inspection is needed.
✗
Enable 'allow-ssl-inspection' under system settings
Why it's wrong here
SSL inspection is configured per policy via SSL/SSH profiles, not a global toggle.
✗
Add a DNS filter to block social media domains
Why it's wrong here
DNS filter blocks at DNS level but does not prevent access via direct IP if the user knows the IP.
✓
Enable 'ssl-ssh-profile' with deep inspection on the policy
Why this is correct
Deep inspection decrypts HTTPS, allowing application control to inspect the application layer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may 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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Deep inspection works by the FortiGate acting as a man-in-the-middle, presenting its own certificate to the client and re-encrypting traffic to the server after inspection. The SSL/SSH profile must include a CA certificate trusted by the client devices; otherwise, users will see certificate warnings. In real-world deployments, administrators often combine deep inspection with application control to block specific social media apps like Facebook or Twitter even when accessed via HTTPS on non-standard ports.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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.
Enterprise Firewall and VDOMs — This question tests Enterprise Firewall and VDOMs — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: 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.
What should I do if I get this NSE7 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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