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ISC2 CC Practice Question: Which THREE of the following are characteristics…
Which THREE of the following are characteristics of a stateful firewall? (Select exactly three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the distinction between stateful and stateless firewalls, and the trap here is that candidates confuse 'stateful' with 'application-layer inspection,' leading them to select option C, when in fact stateful firewalls only track session state at Layers 3 and 4, not the application payload.
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
✓
It can automatically allow return traffic for outbound connections
A stateful firewall automatically allows return traffic for outbound connections because it tracks the state of each connection in a state table. When a packet from an internal host initiates an outbound TCP connection (e.g., SYN), the firewall creates an entry in the state table. When the corresponding return packet (e.g., SYN-ACK) arrives, the firewall checks the state table and permits it without needing an explicit inbound rule, as it recognizes the packet as part of an established session.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
It can automatically allow return traffic for outbound connections
Why this is correct
Stateful firewalls permit return traffic for established sessions.
- ✓
It maintains a state table of active connections
Why this is correct
Stateful firewalls track the state of connections.
- ✗
It inspects application-layer payloads
Why it's wrong here
Application-layer inspection is done by NGFWs, not standard stateful firewalls.
- ✗
It filters packets based solely on source/destination IP and port
Why it's wrong here
That describes stateless packet filtering.
- ✓
It makes filtering decisions based on the context of traffic flows
Why this is correct
Stateful firewalls consider the entire session context.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Risk Management and Security Controls
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.
Key term
Firewall
A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic based on predetermined security rules to protect trusted internal networks from untrusted external 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.