PCNSE Practice Question: Securing Users and Applications with Authentication
An administrator wants to enforce authentication for SSL decrypted traffic so that only authenticated users can access decrypted content. Which firewall feature should be configured?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse SSL Forward Proxy (which handles decryption) with Authentication Policy (which handles user access control), leading them to select the decryption feature instead of the authentication enforcement feature.
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
✓
Authentication Policy
Authentication Policy is the correct feature because it allows the firewall to enforce user authentication specifically for SSL decrypted traffic. By configuring an Authentication Policy, the firewall can require users to authenticate before accessing decrypted content, ensuring that only authenticated users can proceed. This is distinct from SSL decryption profiles, which handle the decryption itself but not user access control.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
SSL Inbound Inspection
Why it's wrong here
SSL Inbound Inspection decrypts traffic destined to internal servers using their certificates, so it cannot authenticate the internal users generating that traffic. It suits protecting published web servers from inbound attacks, not gating decrypted content behind user identity checks.
- ✓
Authentication Policy
Why this is correct
Authentication Policy enforces user-based access control after SSL decryption, matching traffic against Microsoft Entra ID, LDAP or local user groups. It satisfies the stem's constraint that only authenticated users reach decrypted content, unlike decryption profiles or URL filtering, which act on traffic regardless of identity.
- ✗
User-ID agent
Why it's wrong here
A User-ID agent only collects user-to-IP mappings from directory servers; it does not decrypt SSL or enforce policy on decrypted content. It is the correct component when mappings must be gathered from sources the firewall cannot query directly, but decryption itself needs a separate feature.
- ✗
SSL Forward Proxy
Why it's wrong here
SSL Forward Proxy decrypts outbound client sessions, but it performs no user authentication itself; it only enables inspection. Enforcing identity requires mapping decrypted traffic to a User-ID source. Forward Proxy is the right choice when the goal is simply decrypting and inspecting outbound TLS to external servers.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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