JNCIA-SEC Security Policies Practice Question
Which TWO conditions can cause a security policy to be considered shadowed in a Junos configuration? (Choose two.)
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
✓
A preceding policy has 'any' for source, destination, and application, while a subsequent policy specifies a specific subnet.
Shadowing occurs when an earlier rule completely covers a later rule's match criteria.
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 shadowed policy is assigned to a non-existent security zone.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Non-existent zones cause configuration commit errors, not shadowing.
- ✓
A preceding policy has 'any' for source, destination, and application, while a subsequent policy specifies a specific subnet.
Why this is correct
Correct. A broad 'any' rule placed above a specific rule shadows the specific rule.
- ✓
A preceding policy has identical or broader match criteria and is evaluated before the subsequent policy.
Why this is correct
Correct. Broader or identical criteria evaluated earlier causes shadowing.
- ✗
The security device is operating in packet-mode instead of flow-mode.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Packet mode bypasses security policies entirely.
- ✗
The shadowed policy has hit counts enabled while the preceding policy does not.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Hit counts have no impact on policy evaluation or shadowing.
About these practice questions
One of 513 original JNCIA-SEC practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 Juniper Networks exam blueprint
This JNCIA-SEC practice question is part of Courseiva's free Juniper 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 JNCIA-SEC exam.