PCNSA Policy Evaluation and Management Practice Question
Exhibit
admin@PA-500> show log traffic | match allow | head -10 1: 2019-05-15 10:00:00, allow, trust, untrust, 10.10.1.10, 8.8.8.8, web-browsing, http, rule1, ... 2: 2019-05-15 10:00:01, allow, trust, untrust, 10.10.1.11, 8.8.8.8, web-browsing, http, rule1, ... 3: 2019-05-15 10:00:02, deny, trust, untrust, 10.10.1.12, 8.8.8.8, web-browsing, http, rule2, ... 4: 2019-05-15 10:00:03, allow, dmz, untrust, 10.20.1.1, 8.8.8.8, web-browsing, http, rule3, ...
Refer to the exhibit. The administrator sees that traffic from 10.10.1.12 is being denied by rule2. Which action should the administrator take to allow this traffic while maintaining security?
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 rule above rule2 that allows the specific traffic with appropriate security profiles.
Creating a new rule above rule2 that specifically allows traffic from 10.10.1.12 with appropriate security profiles will permit the desired traffic without affecting other rules. Rule order matters in Palo Alto firewalls; a rule placed higher in the list is evaluated first. Option A would broaden rule1's source, potentially allowing unintended traffic. Option B would change rule2 to allow, which could permit traffic that should still be denied. Option D would move rule2 above rule1, but since rule2 is a deny rule, the traffic would still be denied. Thus, adding a new allow rule above the deny rule is the best approach.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Add 10.10.1.12 to rule1's source address.
Why it's wrong here
Adding the specific IP to rule1 might be too narrow and could complicate the rule's intent.
- ✗
Change rule2 to allow.
Why it's wrong here
Changing rule2 to allow would permit all traffic matched by rule2, which may include unwanted traffic.
- ✓
Create a new rule above rule2 that allows the specific traffic with appropriate security profiles.
Why this is correct
This targets only the denied traffic while maintaining security profiles.
- ✗
Move rule2 above rule1.
Why it's wrong here
Moving rule2 above rule1 would cause it to be evaluated first, potentially denying traffic that rule1 would have allowed.
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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.