The correct method is to create a Decryption Policy rule matching the traffic and set the action to 'No Decrypt'. This works because Palo Alto Networks firewalls use Decryption Policy rules to govern SSL Forward Proxy decryption, where the action field determines whether traffic is intercepted or bypassed. By specifying the destination domain, such as *.bank.com, and applying the 'No Decrypt' action, the firewall forwards the encrypted traffic untouched, preserving compliance requirements for sensitive financial sites. On the PCNSE exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Decryption Policy rule order and action types—a common trap is confusing 'No Decrypt' with a Security Policy allow rule, but decryption exclusion must be handled at the Decryption Policy layer, not the Security Policy. Remember the memory tip: "No Decrypt for domains you decrypt no more"—think of it as a policy-level bypass that keeps the handshake intact without inspection.
PCNSE Decryption and SSL Inspection Practice Question
This PCNSE practice question tests your understanding of decryption and ssl inspection. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company is deploying SSL Forward Proxy decryption for outbound HTTPS traffic. They want to ensure that traffic to financial sites (e.g., *.bank.com) is not decrypted due to compliance requirements. Which method should be used to exclude this traffic from decryption?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a Decryption Policy rule matching the traffic and set the action to 'No Decrypt'.
Option C is correct because in Palo Alto Networks firewalls, SSL Forward Proxy decryption is controlled by Decryption Policy rules. To exclude specific traffic from decryption, you create a Decryption Policy rule that matches the traffic (e.g., destination domain *.bank.com) and set the action to 'No Decrypt'. This ensures the firewall forwards the traffic without intercepting or decrypting it, meeting compliance requirements.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Configure the SSL/TLS Service Profile to bypass decryption for the domain.
Why it's wrong here
The SSL/TLS Service Profile is used for inbound decryption and proxy settings, not for policy exclusion.
✗
Configure a Decryption Profile to exclude the domain.
Why it's wrong here
Decryption Profiles control cipher settings and certificate validation, not policy exclusion.
✓
Create a Decryption Policy rule matching the traffic and set the action to 'No Decrypt'.
Why this is correct
Decryption Policy rules with 'No Decrypt' action are the correct way to exclude traffic from decryption based on zone, URL category, etc.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable certificate revocation checking for the decryption zone.
Why it's wrong here
Certificate revocation checking is unrelated to excluding traffic from decryption.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing the purpose of Decryption Profiles (which control decryption behavior) with Decryption Policy rules (which control which traffic is decrypted), leading candidates to incorrectly select Option B.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Decryption Policy rules are evaluated in order, similar to Security Policy rules, and the first match determines the action (Decrypt, No Decrypt, or Forward). The 'No Decrypt' action allows the firewall to pass the traffic without SSL/TLS interception, preserving end-to-end encryption. In real-world scenarios, this is critical for financial or healthcare sites where regulatory compliance (e.g., PCI DSS, HIPAA) prohibits decryption of sensitive traffic.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Decryption and SSL Inspection — This question tests Decryption and SSL Inspection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a Decryption Policy rule matching the traffic and set the action to 'No Decrypt'. — Option C is correct because in Palo Alto Networks firewalls, SSL Forward Proxy decryption is controlled by Decryption Policy rules. To exclude specific traffic from decryption, you create a Decryption Policy rule that matches the traffic (e.g., destination domain *.bank.com) and set the action to 'No Decrypt'. This ensures the firewall forwards the traffic without intercepting or decrypting it, meeting compliance requirements.
What should I do if I get this PCNSE question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An engineer is configuring SSL Forward Proxy decryption for internal users. The firewall must decrypt traffic to all external HTTPS sites except specific financial services domains that require end-to-end encryption. Which best practice should the engineer implement to achieve this?
medium
A.Disable decryption globally and create a custom URL category for the financial domains to enable decryption only for those.
✓ B.Create two Decryption Policy rules: one with 'ssl-decrypt' action for the general category and a second rule with 'no-decrypt' action for the financial domains.
C.Upload the server certificates for the financial domains to the firewall and enable 'no-decrypt' on the Decryption Profile.
D.Configure a single Decryption Policy rule with a 'decrypt' action and add the financial domains to the 'Exclude Certificate' list.
Why B: Option B is correct because it follows the best practice of using a 'no-decrypt' rule with higher priority than the 'ssl-decrypt' rule to exclude specific traffic from decryption. This ensures that traffic to financial services domains is not decrypted, while all other external HTTPS traffic is decrypted as required.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
Question Discussion
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This PCNSE 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 PCNSE exam.
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