PCNSE Decryption and SSL Inspection Practice Question
Which TWO statements are true about TLS version 1.3 support in Palo Alto Networks decryption?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume TLS 1.3 decryption requires the same proxy ciphers as TLS 1.2 or is limited to inbound inspection, but Palo Alto Networks explicitly supports both forward proxy and inbound inspection with distinct cipher suite handling starting in PAN-OS 9.0.
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
✓
TLS 1.3 decryption is supported in PAN-OS 9.0 and later.
TLS 1.3 decryption support was introduced in PAN-OS 9.0, enabling the firewall to decrypt and inspect TLS 1.3 traffic. This allows organizations to maintain visibility into encrypted traffic using the latest TLS protocol without requiring additional hardware or software upgrades beyond the PAN-OS version.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
TLS 1.3 decryption uses the same proxy ciphers as TLS 1.2.
Why it's wrong here
TLS 1.3 uses completely different cipher suites and key exchange mechanisms.
- ✓
TLS 1.3 decryption is supported in PAN-OS 9.0 and later.
Why this is correct
Palo Alto Networks introduced TLS 1.3 decryption starting from PAN-OS 9.0.
- ✗
TLS 1.3 decryption requires the firewall to have a hardware security module (HSM).
Why it's wrong here
No HSM is required; decryption is done via software.
- ✗
TLS 1.3 decryption is only supported for inbound inspection (SSL Inbound Inspection).
Why it's wrong here
TLS 1.3 decryption is supported for both forward proxy and inbound inspection.
- ✓
TLS 1.3 decryption is supported for both forward proxy and inbound inspection.
Why this is correct
Both decryption types support TLS 1.3.
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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.