PCNSA Securing Traffic Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. admin@PA-5050> show running security-policy name from to source destination application service action ------------------------ ------- ------- -------------- ----------- ------------ --------- ------- 1 allow-web trust untrust 10.0.0.0/8 192.0.2.0/24 web-browsing http allow 2 block-malware trust untrust any any any any deny 3 allow-dns trust untrust any any dns udp/53 allow Total rules: 3
Refer to the exhibit. A user at IP 10.10.10.10 tries to browse to http://192.0.2.50. Which rule matches this traffic?
⚠ Common exam trap
Palo Alto Networks often tests the concept that rule order matters and that a more specific rule (like allow-web) will match before a generic block rule, leading candidates to incorrectly assume a later block rule would apply if they overlook the explicit allow rule earlier in the list.
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
✓
Rule 1 (allow-web)
Rule 1 (allow-web) matches because it permits HTTP traffic from source 10.10.10.10 to destination 192.0.2.50 on port 80. The user is browsing to http://192.0.2.50, which uses TCP port 80, and the rule's source and destination IPs align with the traffic flow. In Palo Alto Networks firewalls, rules are evaluated in order, and the first match is applied.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Rule 3 (allow-dns)
Why it's wrong here
Rule 3 only matches DNS traffic, not web-browsing.
- ✗
Rule 2 (block-malware)
Why it's wrong here
Rule 2 is evaluated after rule 1, so it does not apply.
- ✓
Rule 1 (allow-web)
Why this is correct
The traffic matches all criteria in rule 1 and is allowed.
- ✗
No rule matches; traffic is denied by default.
Why it's wrong here
Rule 1 matches explicitly.
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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.