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
Action 'allow' records that the security policy permitted the session; blocked traffic would show deny, drop or reset. It is tempting because a log entry can accompany a block event, but here the explicit allow verdict and transferred byte counts confirm the connection proceeded.
- ✗
The traffic was only one-way; only received bytes were logged.
Why it's wrong here
Both directions are logged: 500 bytes sent and 1200 received describe a completed two-way exchange, not unidirectional traffic. It is tempting because asymmetric byte counts can suggest one-way flows, but the presence of both counters confirms bidirectional session data was captured.
- ✓
The traffic was allowed and identified as web-browsing.
Why this is correct
The log records Action: allow, confirming the firewall permitted the session, and Application: web-browsing, showing App-ID positively identified the traffic as HTTP/HTTPS browsing rather than merely inferring it from port 80 or 443. Bytes Sent and Received simply quantify client-to-server and server-to-client payload volumes for that allowed session.
- ✗
The application was incorrectly identified.
Why it's wrong here
The log shows a permitted session with 500 bytes sent and 1200 received, which is normal bidirectional web traffic, so App-ID matched correctly. Misidentification would appear as an application mismatch or unknown-tcp, not as a completed allow with asymmetric byte counts.
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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.