PCNSA Policy Evaluation and Management Practice Question
An administrator has configured multiple security rules for a data center. There is a rule that allows SSH from the 'Management' zone to the 'Server' zone. Recently, the administrator added a new rule allowing SSH from a new 'Admin' zone to the 'Server' zone. The Admin rule is placed above the Management rule. Both rules specify the correct zones, application SSH, and action allow. After committing, SSH traffic from the Admin zone is being denied. What is the most likely issue?
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
✓
There is a deny rule placed above the new Admin rule that matches the Admin zone traffic.
The Admin rule is placed above the Management rule and both allow SSH, so traffic should be allowed by the Admin rule. The most likely reason for denial is that a deny rule exists above the Admin rule that matches the Admin zone traffic, thereby blocking SSH before the Admin rule is evaluated. Option A correctly identifies this.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
There is a deny rule placed above the new Admin rule that matches the Admin zone traffic.
Why this is correct
Correct. A deny rule above would block the SSH traffic before it reaches the allow rule.
- ✗
The Admin rule has a typo in the destination address, causing it to not match the server.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. If the destination address were wrong, the rule would not match at all, but the traffic would then fall through to the Management rule (which allows), so it would not be denied.
- ✗
The Management rule is shadowing the Admin rule due to overlapping conditions.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Shadowing implies the Management rule would match first, but since Admin rule is above, it should match first. Denial indicates a deny rule above.
- ✗
The Admin zone is not associated with the correct virtual router.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. If the zone were misconfigured, the traffic would not match the rule at all, but it would not be explicitly denied.
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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.