- A
Change the allow rule's application to include only HTTP and HTTPS.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Facebook and YouTube use HTTPS, so they would still be allowed.
- B
Use URL filtering to block the social networking and streaming media categories.
Correct. URL filtering by category allows general web browsing while blocking specific types of sites like social media and video streaming.
- C
Add a custom application filter to block social media applications.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Application filters can block specific apps, but this requires maintaining a list; URL filtering is more straightforward for categories.
- D
Change the deny rule to block social media applications.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Denying social media apps would only work if they are identified as separate apps; many use web-browsing app-id.
Quick Answer
The answer is to use URL filtering to block the social networking and streaming media categories. This is correct because while App-ID identifies applications like Facebook and YouTube as using the web-browsing container, URL filtering inspects the actual destination URLs, allowing you to block specific categories without disrupting general HTTP/HTTPS traffic. On the PCNSA exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the relationship between App-ID and URL filtering—a common trap is assuming that allowing the web-browsing application only permits generic web traffic, when in fact many social and streaming apps are sub-identified under that same App-ID. The key insight is that App-ID sees the application’s behavior, not the URL, so you need URL filtering to enforce content-level restrictions. Remember the mnemonic: “App-ID sees the app, URL filtering sees the site—block the category, not the protocol.”
PCNSA Policy Evaluation and Management Practice Question
This PCNSA practice question tests your understanding of policy evaluation and management. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
A network administrator is tasked with implementing a policy that allows traffic from the 'Sales' zone to the 'Internet' zone only for web-browsing (application: web-browsing) and blocks all other traffic. The administrator creates a rule at the top of the security policy with source zone Sales, destination zone Internet, application web-browsing, action allow. Below that, a rule with source zone Sales, destination zone Internet, application any, action deny. After committing, users in Sales can browse the web normally. However, the administrator discovers that some users are able to use applications like YouTube and Facebook which use web-browsing as part of their app-id. The administrator wants to ensure that only HTTP/HTTPS traffic for general web browsing is allowed, not other web-based applications. What should the administrator do?
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
Use URL filtering to block the social networking and streaming media categories.
Using URL filtering to block social media categories is effective and does not interfere with general web browsing. Changing the allow rule's application to HTTP/HTTPS would still allow Facebook and YouTube because they use HTTPS. Custom application filters or deny rules are less precise or affect allowed traffic.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Change the allow rule's application to include only HTTP and HTTPS.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Facebook and YouTube use HTTPS, so they would still be allowed.
- ✓
Use URL filtering to block the social networking and streaming media categories.
Why this is correct
Correct. URL filtering by category allows general web browsing while blocking specific types of sites like social media and video streaming.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- ✗
Add a custom application filter to block social media applications.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Application filters can block specific apps, but this requires maintaining a list; URL filtering is more straightforward for categories.
- ✗
Change the deny rule to block social media applications.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Denying social media apps would only work if they are identified as separate apps; many use web-browsing app-id.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCNSA NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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Policy Evaluation and Management — study guide chapter
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Policy Evaluation and Management practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCNSA question test?
Policy Evaluation and Management — This question tests Policy Evaluation and Management — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use URL filtering to block the social networking and streaming media categories. — Using URL filtering to block social media categories is effective and does not interfere with general web browsing. Changing the allow rule's application to HTTP/HTTPS would still allow Facebook and YouTube because they use HTTPS. Custom application filters or deny rules are less precise or affect allowed traffic.
What should I do if I get this PCNSA question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCNSA NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This PCNSA 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 PCNSA exam.
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