- A
Disable decryption globally and create a custom URL category for the financial domains to enable decryption only for those.
Why wrong: Disabling globally would prevent decryption of all traffic, including the financial domains if not correctly handled, and the approach is not typical.
- B
Create two Decryption Policy rules: one with 'ssl-decrypt' action for the general category and a second rule with 'no-decrypt' action for the financial domains.
This allows decryption of most traffic while exempting the specified domains, following best practice.
- C
Upload the server certificates for the financial domains to the firewall and enable 'no-decrypt' on the Decryption Profile.
Why wrong: Uploading server certificates is not required for no-decrypt; the decryption profile does not have a 'no-decrypt' setting per domain.
- D
Configure a single Decryption Policy rule with a 'decrypt' action and add the financial domains to the 'Exclude Certificate' list.
Why wrong: 'decrypt' is not a valid action; the correct action is 'ssl-decrypt'. Also, excluding certificates is not the intended method for skipping decryption.
PCNSE Decryption and SSL Inspection Practice Question
This PCNSE practice question tests your understanding of decryption and ssl inspection. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An engineer is configuring SSL Forward Proxy decryption for internal users. The firewall must decrypt traffic to all external HTTPS sites except specific financial services domains that require end-to-end encryption. Which best practice should the engineer implement to achieve this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Create two Decryption Policy rules: one with 'ssl-decrypt' action for the general category and a second rule with 'no-decrypt' action for the financial domains.
Option B is correct because it follows the best practice of using a 'no-decrypt' rule with higher priority than the 'ssl-decrypt' rule to exclude specific traffic from decryption. This ensures that traffic to financial services domains is not decrypted, while all other external HTTPS traffic is decrypted as required.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 decryption globally and create a custom URL category for the financial domains to enable decryption only for those.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling globally would prevent decryption of all traffic, including the financial domains if not correctly handled, and the approach is not typical.
- ✓
Create two Decryption Policy rules: one with 'ssl-decrypt' action for the general category and a second rule with 'no-decrypt' action for the financial domains.
Why this is correct
This allows decryption of most traffic while exempting the specified domains, following best practice.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Upload the server certificates for the financial domains to the firewall and enable 'no-decrypt' on the Decryption Profile.
Why it's wrong here
Uploading server certificates is not required for no-decrypt; the decryption profile does not have a 'no-decrypt' setting per domain.
- ✗
Configure a single Decryption Policy rule with a 'decrypt' action and add the financial domains to the 'Exclude Certificate' list.
Why it's wrong here
'decrypt' is not a valid action; the correct action is 'ssl-decrypt'. Also, excluding certificates is not the intended method for skipping decryption.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the 'Exclude Certificate' list in the Decryption Profile with a method to prevent decryption, when in fact it only affects certificate re-signing, not the decryption action itself.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Palo Alto Networks firewalls, Decryption Policy rules are evaluated in order, and the first matching rule determines the action. Using a 'no-decrypt' rule with higher priority ensures that traffic to specified domains bypasses decryption entirely, preserving end-to-end encryption. This is critical for compliance with regulations like PCI DSS, which often require that financial transactions remain encrypted end-to-end.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the PCNSE exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCNSE question test?
Decryption and SSL Inspection — This question tests Decryption and SSL Inspection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create two Decryption Policy rules: one with 'ssl-decrypt' action for the general category and a second rule with 'no-decrypt' action for the financial domains. — Option B is correct because it follows the best practice of using a 'no-decrypt' rule with higher priority than the 'ssl-decrypt' rule to exclude specific traffic from decryption. This ensures that traffic to financial services domains is not decrypted, while all other external HTTPS traffic is decrypted as required.
What should I do if I get this PCNSE question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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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