PCNSA Securing Traffic Practice Question
Traffic between two internal zones is being dropped due to a security policy rule that blocks any traffic. However, the administrator needs to allow specific inter-zone traffic for a critical application. The allowed traffic is sourced from a special IP range. How should the administrator configure the security policy to permit only this traffic while still blocking other traffic?
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
✓
Add a new allow rule above the deny rule that matches the specific traffic.
The correct approach is to add a new allow rule above the existing deny rule. In a security policy, rules are evaluated from top to bottom, and the first matching rule determines the action. By placing a more specific allow rule for the critical application's traffic (matching the special IP range) before the general deny rule, only that traffic is permitted, while all other traffic continues to be blocked by the deny rule. This is a standard method of creating an exception to a broader deny rule.
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 single rule with both allow and deny actions based on source.
Why it's wrong here
A rule has one action; you cannot have both allow and deny in one rule.
- ✗
Place the specific servers in a different zone and create a new policy for that zone.
Why it's wrong here
This complicates design unnecessarily.
- ✓
Add a new allow rule above the deny rule that matches the specific traffic.
Why this is correct
The allow rule will be evaluated first and permit the traffic before reaching the deny rule.
- ✗
Modify the existing deny rule to allow all traffic.
Why it's wrong here
This would allow all traffic, not just the specific application.
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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.