easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
PCNSA Practice Question: Ensure that all internet-bound HTTP traffic is…
A company wants to ensure that all internet-bound HTTP traffic is decrypted for inspection before being forwarded to the next-generation firewall for policy enforcement. Which deployment method should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Palo Alto Networks often tests the misconception that transparent proxy or virtual wire mode can perform SSL decryption without explicit client configuration, but the trap here is that only explicit proxy with SSL Forward Proxy decryption guarantees the firewall can terminate and decrypt all HTTP traffic as an intermediary, whereas other modes require additional configuration or lack the ability to act as a proxy endpoint.
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
✓
Explicit proxy with SSL Forward Proxy decryption
B is correct because an explicit proxy deployment requires clients to be configured to send HTTP traffic to the firewall's proxy IP, which allows the firewall to terminate the client connection, perform SSL Forward Proxy decryption using a forward trust certificate, and then re-encrypt the traffic for inspection before forwarding it to the next-generation firewall for policy enforcement. This method ensures that all internet-bound HTTP traffic is decrypted for inspection, as the firewall acts as an intermediary between the client and the destination server.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Virtual wire mode with SSL Forward Proxy
Why it's wrong here
Virtual wire mode is transparent and does not support SSL decryption.
- ✓
Explicit proxy with SSL Forward Proxy decryption
Why this is correct
Explicit proxy mode lets the firewall act as a forward proxy and perform SSL decryption for inspection.
- ✗
Transparent proxy with a forward trust certificate
Why it's wrong here
Transparent proxy intercepts traffic without explicit configuration but SSL decryption still requires an explicit proxy configuration.
- ✗
Layer 3 mode with a policy-based forwarding rule
Why it's wrong here
Policy-Based Forwarding can redirect traffic but does not enable SSL decryption automatically.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCNSA practice question is part of Courseiva's free Palo Alto 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 PCNSA exam.