easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
PCNSA Practice Question: A security administrator wants to block users…
A security administrator wants to block users from accessing social media websites during business hours. The firewall is connected to the internet and has a Security policy that allows general web browsing. What is the most efficient way to block social media?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse Application ID (which blocks the application itself, like Facebook app) with URL Filtering (which blocks the website category), leading them to choose Option A, but URL Filtering is the correct and more efficient method for blocking entire categories of websites based on URL categorization.
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
✓
Create a new Security policy rule with a URL Filtering profile that blocks the social-media category.
URL Filtering profiles are specifically designed to block entire categories of websites (like social media) based on URL categorization, which is the most efficient method for blocking access to social media sites. This approach leverages Palo Alto Networks' URL Filtering database, which categorizes millions of URLs, allowing the administrator to block the entire 'social-media' category with a single policy rule without needing to identify individual applications or destinations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a new Security policy rule with an Application ID that blocks social-media applications.
Why it's wrong here
While Application IDs identify specific software, they lack the time-based scheduling mechanism required to restrict access specifically during business hours. This approach would block social media permanently rather than applying a temporal constraint. Using an Application ID is the correct method when the objective is to deny application traffic regardless of the time of day, such as preventing all file-sharing services across the entire network.
- ✓
Create a new Security policy rule with a URL Filtering profile that blocks the social-media category.
Why this is correct
URL Filtering directly blocks access by category.
- ✗
Add a Custom Signature to the existing rule to block social media traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Custom Signatures are for detecting specific threats, not for URL filtering.
- ✗
Modify the existing web browsing rule to deny social media destinations.
Why it's wrong here
This would require maintaining a list of social media IPs, which is inefficient.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 516 original PCNSA 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 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.