PCNSE Troubleshoot Practice Question
A user reports that they cannot access a specific website. The firewall security policy allows web traffic. The administrator checks the traffic log and sees that the session is being denied due to a 'URL Filtering' block. What should the administrator do to allow access?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume disabling URL filtering entirely (Option A) is the quickest fix, but the PCNSE exam tests the understanding that URL filtering profiles should be modified granularly using allow/block lists rather than disabling the feature completely.
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 the URL to an allow list in the URL filtering profile
The traffic log explicitly indicates a 'URL Filtering' block, meaning the firewall's URL filtering profile is denying the request based on the URL category or specific URL. Adding the URL to an allow list within the URL filtering profile overrides the block, allowing access while keeping the security rule and other filtering policies intact. This approach preserves security controls for other traffic and avoids disabling URL filtering entirely.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Disable URL filtering on the existing security rule
Why it's wrong here
Disabling URL filtering entirely is excessive and may expose the network.
- ✗
Check the user-ID mapping to ensure the user is authenticated
Why it's wrong here
User-ID is not required for URL filtering to block.
- ✗
Create a new security rule allowing the user's IP to any
Why it's wrong here
This would bypass URL filtering for that user, which is not the best practice.
- ✓
Add the URL to an allow list in the URL filtering profile
Why this is correct
This allows the specific URL while keeping the profile active.
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One of 504 original PCNSE practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. 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.