PCNSE Manage, Monitor and Operate Practice Question
A firewall administrator needs to configure a new security policy rule to block traffic from the 'Guest' zone to the 'Corporate' zone for all ports except HTTP and HTTPS. Which two configuration steps are required? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Palo Alto Networks often tests the rule ordering requirement in security policies, where candidates mistakenly think a single rule with 'allow' and specific applications is sufficient without a subsequent deny rule, or they incorrectly assume that a deny rule with 'any' can be placed anywhere in the rulebase.
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 rule with source zone 'Guest', destination zone 'Corporate', application 'web browsing' and 'ssl' with action 'allow'.
To block all traffic from the Guest zone to the Corporate zone except HTTP and HTTPS, you must explicitly allow the permitted applications and then deny everything else, ensuring correct rule order. Option A creates the necessary allow rule for web-browsing and SSL. Because security policies are evaluated top-down, the allow rule must be placed above any explicit deny-all rule so that the allowed traffic matches first. Option D ensures this ordering. Relying solely on the implicit default-deny is insufficient when explicit control is required; an explicit deny rule (commonly placed at the bottom) demands proper placement of the allow rule above it. Thus, both A and D are required.
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 rule with source zone 'Guest', destination zone 'Corporate', application 'web browsing' and 'ssl' with action 'allow'.
Why this is correct
This allows HTTP and HTTPS traffic.
- ✗
Create a rule with source zone 'Guest', destination zone 'Corporate', application 'any' with action 'deny'.
Why it's wrong here
This would deny all traffic unless the allow rule precedes it.
- ✗
Configure a 'Log Forwarding' profile to send alerts for denied traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Logging is not required for the blocking functionality.
- ✓
Ensure the allow rule for web browsing and ssl is placed before the deny rule.
Why this is correct
Rule order is critical; the allow rule must be evaluated first.
- ✗
Create a rule with source zone 'Guest', destination zone 'Corporate', and application 'any' with action 'allow'.
Why it's wrong here
This would allow all applications, not just HTTP/HTTPS.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every PCNSE question from scratch — 504 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.