PCNSE Practice Question: Securing Users and Applications with Authentication
Which of the following is required for SAML-based single sign-on to work with a Palo Alto Networks firewall acting as the service provider?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often assume a public CA certificate is required for SAML trust (Option B), but in reality, SAML uses a direct trust model where the SP explicitly trusts the IdP's self-signed certificate via metadata import, not through a public PKI hierarchy.
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 identity provider's metadata must be imported into the firewall.
For SAML-based single sign-on (SSO) with a Palo Alto Networks firewall acting as the service provider (SP), the firewall must trust the identity provider (IdP). This trust is established by importing the IdP's SAML metadata (which includes the IdP's entity ID, single sign-on URL, and signing certificate) into the firewall. Without this metadata, the firewall cannot validate SAML assertions from the IdP, making authentication impossible.
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 identity provider's metadata must be imported into the firewall.
Why this is correct
The metadata includes the IdP's public key, endpoints, and binding information needed for SAML communication.
- ✗
A certificate from a public CA for the SAML identity provider.
Why it's wrong here
The identity provider's certificate must be imported into the firewall, but it can be self-signed; a public CA is not required.
- ✗
The firewall must be configured as a SAML identity provider.
Why it's wrong here
The firewall acts as the Service Provider (SP), not the IdP.
- ✗
User-ID must be configured to poll the SAML identity provider.
Why it's wrong here
User-ID polling is not used for SAML; user identity is asserted through SAML assertions.
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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.