mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: Refer to the exhibit
Exhibit
Firewall ruleset: Rule 1: permit tcp any host 10.0.0.1 eq 80 Rule 2: permit tcp any host 10.0.0.2 eq 443 Rule 3: deny ip any any log
Refer to the exhibit. A user at IP 10.0.0.1 reports that they cannot access a web server at 203.0.113.5 on port 443. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often focus on inbound rules when a user cannot reach an external server, forgetting that outbound traffic must also be explicitly permitted by the firewall's egress policy.
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
✓
The firewall does not have a rule permitting outbound traffic.
The user at 10.0.0.1 cannot reach 203.0.113.5:443, which indicates that outbound traffic to that destination is not permitted. Firewalls by default block all traffic unless explicitly allowed; if no rule permits outbound HTTPS (TCP/443) traffic, the connection will be dropped. The symptom (inability to access an external web server) points to a missing outbound rule, not an inbound rule issue.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The firewall only permits inbound traffic to specific IPs.
Why it's wrong here
This is true but not the full reason; the issue is lack of outbound rules.
- ✗
The firewall rule order is incorrect.
Why it's wrong here
Rule order is not the issue; there is no permit for outbound traffic at all.
- ✗
The firewall blocks all outbound traffic.
Why it's wrong here
The firewall does not explicitly block outbound, but it is implicitly denied due to lack of permit rules.
- ✓
The firewall does not have a rule permitting outbound traffic.
Why this is correct
Without an explicit permit for outbound traffic, the implicit deny blocks it.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SSCP 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 SSCP exam.