Cybersecurity-Practitioner Cloud Security Practice Question
An administrator is deploying VM-Series firewalls in Microsoft Azure using an Azure Standard Load Balancer for inbound application traffic. Which component is required to handle asymmetry when routing return traffic from backend application VMs back through the firewall?
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 Source NAT (SNAT) on the VM-Series firewall untrust/trust interface policies so return traffic flows back through the active firewall IP.
Azure Standard Load Balancer supports HA ports and SNAT, but inbound asymmetric traffic routed via user-defined routes (UDRs) requires careful load balancer configuration or floating IP (Direct Server Return) considerations, or utilizing Azure Gateway Load Balancer. For standard load balancers with firewalls, SNAT is typically enabled on the load balancer or firewall to maintain flow symmetry.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Configure Azure ExpressRoute Global Reach to bypass the Azure Load Balancer entirely.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. ExpressRoute is for hybrid connectivity, not internal Azure routing asymmetry.
- ✗
Deploy an Azure Bastion host to proxy all inbound administrative and application sessions.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Azure Bastion is strictly for secure RDP/SSH administrative access.
- ✗
Configure an Azure Application Gateway in front of the Standard Load Balancer to perform Layer 7 proxying.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Application Gateway sits at Layer 7 but does not solve Layer 3 routing asymmetry between Azure LB and firewalls.
- ✓
Enable Source NAT (SNAT) on the VM-Series firewall untrust/trust interface policies so return traffic flows back through the active firewall IP.
Why this is correct
Correct. SNAT ensures that the backend server sees the firewall's IP as the source, guaranteeing that return traffic routes back through the firewall.
Quick reference
Asymmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Exchange | Signatures | Equivalent Security Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSA-3072 | Yes | Yes | 128-bit | Widely deployed; slow for bulk data |
| ECDSA P-256 | No | Yes | 128-bit | Fast signatures; standard TLS certs |
| ECDH / ECDHE | Yes | No | 128-bit | Perfect forward secrecy in TLS 1.3 |
| DH / DHE | Yes | No | 128-bit (3072-bit key) | Replaced by ECDHE in modern TLS |
| Ed25519 | No | Yes | ~128-bit | SSH keys, modern PKI |
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official Palo Alto Networks exam blueprint
This Cybersecurity-Practitioner practice question is part of Courseiva's free Palo Alto Networks 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 Cybersecurity-Practitioner exam.