PCNSE Manage, Monitor and Operate Practice Question
An administrator reviews a traffic log entry: 'Source: 10.0.0.10, Destination: 8.8.8.8, Application: web-browsing, Action: allow, Bytes Sent: 500, Bytes Received: 1200'. What does this log entry indicate about the traffic?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume traffic to 8.8.8.8 is always DNS and thus think the application was misidentified, but the log explicitly shows 'web-browsing' which is valid for HTTP/HTTPS traffic to any IP, and the 'allow' action confirms the firewall permitted it.
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
✓
The traffic was allowed and identified as web-browsing.
The log entry shows 'Action: allow', which explicitly indicates the firewall permitted the traffic. The 'Application: web-browsing' field confirms that the Palo Alto Networks firewall correctly identified the traffic as HTTP/HTTPS (web-browsing) using App-ID, not just by port. The presence of both 'Bytes Sent' and 'Bytes Received' with non-zero values confirms bidirectional communication, so the traffic was allowed and properly classified.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The traffic was blocked by a security policy.
Why it's wrong here
The action is 'allow', not block.
- ✗
The traffic was only one-way; only received bytes were logged.
Why it's wrong here
Both sent and received bytes are present.
- ✓
The traffic was allowed and identified as web-browsing.
Why this is correct
The log confirms both the action and the application.
- ✗
The application was incorrectly identified.
Why it's wrong here
The application column shows the detected app; there's no indication of misidentification.
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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.