easyMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
PCNSA Practice Question: A security administrator is troubleshooting an…
A security administrator is troubleshooting an issue where users cannot access a specific website. The security policy allows web-browsing from the internal zone to the external zone. Which TWO actions should the administrator take to verify the traffic is being matched and allowed?
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
✓
Verify that the policy has the correct source zone.
Options B and C are correct. Verifying the source zone (B) ensures the policy is applied to the correct traffic flow. Checking the traffic log (C) shows whether the session matched a security policy. Option A (CPU usage) does not verify policy matching. Option D (Threat log) is for blocked malicious traffic, not for verifying allowed traffic. Option E (URL filtering profile) is a content inspection feature, not directly for verifying policy matching.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Review the system resources to check CPU usage.
Why it's wrong here
System resource utilization does not provide information about specific policy matches or traffic flows.
- ✓
Verify that the policy has the correct source zone.
Why this is correct
If the source zone is incorrect, the policy may not match, and traffic could be blocked by implicit deny; verifying the zone ensures the policy applies to the intended traffic.
- ✓
Check the traffic log for the session.
Why this is correct
The traffic log records all sessions and shows which policy matched; if the session is present, the traffic is being allowed.
- ✗
Look at the Threat log for any malware detections.
Why it's wrong here
Threat logs show blocked malicious activity, not allowed traffic; they are not useful for verifying policy matching for legitimate traffic.
- ✗
Examine the URL filtering profile applied to the policy.
Why it's wrong here
URL filtering affects access based on categories, but it does not indicate if the traffic matched the security policy in the first place.
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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.