NSE7 Advanced Threat Protection Practice Question
What is the primary purpose of Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) in FortiGate's antivirus features?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse CDR with sandboxing or macro blocking, but CDR is a static sanitization technique that removes active content from files without detonating them, whereas sandboxing involves dynamic analysis and macro blocking is a simpler, all-or-nothing approach that CDR avoids by allowing safe use of the document.
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
✓
To remove potentially malicious content from documents and rebuild them as safe files
Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) is designed to remove active or potentially malicious content—such as macros, scripts, embedded objects, and OLE links—from documents (e.g., Office files, PDFs) and then reconstruct them as sanitized, safe versions. This approach prevents threats like macro-based malware or exploit-laden attachments from reaching users, even if the file contains previously unknown (zero-day) payloads, by stripping the dangerous components rather than relying solely on signature-based detection.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
To remove potentially malicious content from documents and rebuild them as safe files
Why this is correct
CDR strips active content and reconstructs files to eliminate threats.
- ✗
To convert files into PDF format for safer viewing
Why it's wrong here
CDR does not change file format.
- ✗
To detect zero-day malware using sandboxing
Why it's wrong here
Sandboxing is a separate feature.
- ✗
To block all files containing macros
Why it's wrong here
CDR does not block; it sanitizes.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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