The answer is that outbound traffic is not inspected for malicious content, creating a firewall policy lack of SSL inspection security issue. This is correct because the firewall configuration only applies inspection rules to inbound traffic from the internet to the internal network, leaving outbound traffic—such as data exfiltration or command-and-control communications—completely unchecked. Without SSL inspection on outbound flows, encrypted malicious content can bypass defenses entirely, as the firewall cannot decrypt and analyze the payload. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this scenario tests your understanding of firewall policy completeness and the common trap of assuming inbound-only inspection is sufficient. A frequent memory trick is to remember that threats don’t just enter—they also leave; always ask yourself, “Is my firewall watching both doors?” For the exam, think of the mnemonic “IN and OUT, no doubt” to ensure you consider bidirectional inspection for comprehensive threat protection.
ISC2 CC Security Operations Practice Question
This CC practice question tests your understanding of security operations. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
---
# firewall config snippet
policy id=10 name "Allow Web"
from zone=Trust to zone=Untrusted
source 192.168.1.0/24
destination any
application ssl
action permit
log end
---
A security analyst reviews this firewall configuration. Which potential security issue exists?
Refer to the exhibit.
---
# firewall config snippet
policy id=10 name "Allow Web"
from zone=Trust to zone=Untrusted
source 192.168.1.0/24
destination any
application ssl
action permit
log end
---
A
Logging is not enabled at session start
Why wrong: Logging is enabled at session end.
B
Outbound traffic is not inspected for malicious content
SSL traffic is permitted without decryption or inspection.
C
The source is too restrictive
Why wrong: The source is a typical internal subnet.
D
The policy does not specify a destination
Why wrong: Destination 'any' is common for outbound.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Outbound traffic is not inspected for malicious content
Option B is correct because the firewall configuration shown only inspects inbound traffic (from the internet to the internal network) but does not apply any inspection to outbound traffic. Without outbound inspection, malicious content such as malware command-and-control traffic or data exfiltration can leave the network undetected. A security analyst should ensure that both inbound and outbound traffic are inspected for malicious content to provide comprehensive threat protection.
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.
✗
Logging is not enabled at session start
Why it's wrong here
Logging is enabled at session end.
✓
Outbound traffic is not inspected for malicious content
Why this is correct
SSL traffic is permitted without decryption or inspection.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The source is too restrictive
Why it's wrong here
The source is a typical internal subnet.
✗
The policy does not specify a destination
Why it's wrong here
Destination 'any' is common for outbound.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the misconception that only inbound traffic needs inspection because threats come from the internet, but the trap is that outbound traffic can carry malicious payloads or exfiltrate data, making outbound inspection equally important for a defense-in-depth strategy.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Cisco firewalls (e.g., ASA or FTD), inspection is applied via Modular Policy Framework (MPF) using 'inspect' commands or 'policy-map' configurations. Outbound inspection is critical for detecting malware callbacks, DNS tunneling, or data exfiltration via protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, or DNS. Without it, the firewall operates as a simple packet filter for outbound traffic, allowing any application-layer threat to pass through unimpeded.
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 security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CC question in full detail.
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Outbound traffic is not inspected for malicious content — Option B is correct because the firewall configuration shown only inspects inbound traffic (from the internet to the internal network) but does not apply any inspection to outbound traffic. Without outbound inspection, malicious content such as malware command-and-control traffic or data exfiltration can leave the network undetected. A security analyst should ensure that both inbound and outbound traffic are inspected for malicious content to provide comprehensive threat protection.
What should I do if I get this CC 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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