PCNSE Deploy and Configure Firewalls Practice Question
This PCNSE practice question tests your understanding of deploy and configure firewalls. 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 company has a firewall with multiple virtual routers. They need to ensure that traffic from a specific subnet (10.1.1.0/24) can reach the internet but not other internal subnets. What is the best way 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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Implement security policies with source zone and destination zone
Option C is correct because security policies in Palo Alto Networks firewalls control traffic based on source and destination zones, enabling you to restrict traffic from the 10.1.1.0/24 subnet (assigned to a specific zone) to only the internet zone while blocking access to other internal subnets. This is achieved by creating a security policy that allows traffic from the source zone (e.g., 'Internal') to the destination zone (e.g., 'Internet') and explicitly denying traffic to other internal zones, without relying on routing or NAT.
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.
✗
Use NAT policies
Why it's wrong here
NAT policies translate IP addresses, but they do not provide access control between subnets.
✗
Configure static routes in the virtual router
Why it's wrong here
Static routes determine the path for traffic but do not enforce access control between subnets.
✓
Implement security policies with source zone and destination zone
Why this is correct
Security policies allow or deny traffic based on zones. By placing the subnet in a separate zone and creating policies, you can control access.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure path monitoring
Why it's wrong here
Path monitoring is used for failover of static routes, not for access control.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse routing (static routes) with security policies, assuming that controlling the path via routes can restrict access, but in Palo Alto firewalls, access control is enforced by security policies, not routing tables.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Palo Alto Networks firewalls use a zone-based security policy model where each interface is assigned to a zone, and policies are evaluated in order (top-down) based on source zone, destination zone, source IP, destination IP, and application. For this scenario, the 10.1.1.0/24 subnet would be placed in a zone like 'Trust', while internal subnets are in a separate zone (e.g., 'Internal'), and the internet is in another zone (e.g., 'Untrust'). A security policy allowing traffic from 'Trust' to 'Untrust' and denying all other inter-zone traffic effectively isolates the subnet from internal resources while permitting internet access.
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 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Deploy and Configure Firewalls — This question tests Deploy and Configure Firewalls — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Implement security policies with source zone and destination zone — Option C is correct because security policies in Palo Alto Networks firewalls control traffic based on source and destination zones, enabling you to restrict traffic from the 10.1.1.0/24 subnet (assigned to a specific zone) to only the internet zone while blocking access to other internal subnets. This is achieved by creating a security policy that allows traffic from the source zone (e.g., 'Internal') to the destination zone (e.g., 'Internet') and explicitly denying traffic to other internal zones, without relying on routing or NAT.
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.
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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.
Question Discussion
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