Quick Answer
The answer is allow. This is the correct security policy action because the security engineer needs to permit inbound HTTPS traffic from the Untrust zone to the DMZ web server, and in Palo Alto Networks firewalls, the 'allow' action explicitly grants the traffic passage through the firewall, which is required for legitimate inbound web traffic. On the PCNSE exam, this scenario tests your understanding of security policy rule actions and zone-based forwarding, often appearing as a straightforward question where the trap is confusing 'allow' with 'drop' or 'deny' when the intent is clearly to permit a service. Remember that for any inbound service you want to reach a DMZ resource, the action must be 'allow'—think of it as the firewall’s green light. A useful memory tip is: if you want the traffic to reach the server, you must allow it through.
This PCNSE practice question tests your understanding of deploy and configure firewalls. 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 security engineer needs to allow inbound HTTPS traffic from the internet to a web server in the DMZ. The source zone is 'Untrust', destination zone is 'DMZ', and the destination address is the web server's IP. Which security policy action should be used?
allow
'allow' permits the traffic.
reset-both
Why wrong: 'reset-both' sends resets to both client and server, but is not used for allow rules.
deny
Why wrong: 'deny' blocks traffic and sends a TCP reset.
drop
Why wrong: 'drop' silently discards packets.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
allow
The correct action is 'allow' because the security engineer needs to permit inbound HTTPS traffic from the Untrust zone to the DMZ web server. In Palo Alto Networks firewalls, the security policy action 'allow' explicitly permits the traffic to pass through the firewall, which is required for legitimate inbound web traffic.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
allow
Why this is correct
'allow' permits the traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
reset-both
Why it's wrong here
'reset-both' sends resets to both client and server, but is not used for allow rules.
deny
Why it's wrong here
'deny' blocks traffic and sends a TCP reset.
drop
Why it's wrong here
'drop' silently discards packets.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse 'deny' with 'drop' or think 'reset-both' is a valid way to allow traffic, but only 'allow' actually permits the session to be established and pass through the firewall.
Detailed technical explanation
The 'allow' action in Palo Alto Networks security policies is the only action that permits traffic to pass through the firewall, performing stateful inspection and allowing the TCP three-way handshake for HTTPS (TCP/443) to complete. In contrast, 'deny' and 'drop' both block traffic but differ in that 'deny' sends a reset to the sender while 'drop' silently discards, and 'reset-both' sends resets to both endpoints, which is useful for terminating malicious sessions but not for allowing legitimate traffic.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Deploy and Configure Firewalls — This question tests Deploy and Configure Firewalls — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: allow — The correct action is 'allow' because the security engineer needs to permit inbound HTTPS traffic from the Untrust zone to the DMZ web server. In Palo Alto Networks firewalls, the security policy action 'allow' explicitly permits the traffic to pass through the firewall, which is required for legitimate inbound web traffic.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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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