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ISC2 CC Practice Question: Which THREE of the following are best practices…
Which THREE of the following are best practices for securing a network firewall? (Select THREE.)
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that a firewall should be placed outside the network perimeter for better visibility, but the correct placement is at the perimeter to filter traffic before it enters the internal network.
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
✓
Disable unused services and ports
Disabling unused services and ports reduces the attack surface by eliminating potential entry points for attackers. A firewall should only have necessary ports (e.g., TCP 80/443 for web traffic) open, as each open service represents a vector for exploitation. This aligns with the principle of least privilege and is a fundamental hardening step.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Disable unused services and ports
Why this is correct
Reduces the attack surface.
- ✗
Allow all traffic by default and block specific threats
Why it's wrong here
Default deny is the secure practice; default allow is insecure.
- ✓
Implement rule change management and review
Why this is correct
Ensures changes are authorized and auditable.
- ✗
Place the firewall outside the network perimeter
Why it's wrong here
Firewall should be at the perimeter, not outside the network.
- ✓
Use strong, complex passwords for firewall administration
Why this is correct
Prevents unauthorized administrative access.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Network Security Foundations
Key term
Access control
Access control is the security practice of determining who or what is allowed to view, use, or enter a resource, and under what conditions.
Key term
TCP
TCP is a connection-oriented transport layer protocol that ensures reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of data between applications over IP networks.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.