Palo Alto Networks PSE-SWFW-Pro-24 Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall Exam Practice Test

Answer : A, D

Azure vWAN (Virtual WAN) is a networking service that connects on-premises locations, branches, and Azure virtual networks. Protecting egress traffic from workloads attached to a vWAN hub requires a solution that can integrate with the vWAN architecture.

A . Cloud NGFW: Cloud NGFW is designed for cloud environments and integrates directly with Azure networking services, including vWAN. It can be deployed as a secured virtual hub or as a spoke VNet insertion to protect egress traffic.

B . PA-Series: PA-Series are hardware appliances and are not directly deployable within Azure vWAN. They would require complex configurations involving on-premises connectivity and backhauling traffic, which is not a typical or recommended vWAN design.

C . CN-Series: CN-Series is designed for containerized environments and is not suitable for protecting general egress traffic from workloads connected to a vWAN hub.

D . VM-Series: VM-Series firewalls can be deployed in Azure virtual networks that are connected to the vWAN hub. They can then be configured to inspect and control egress traffic. This is a common deployment model for VM-Series in Azure.

Answer : A

Software NGFW credits and deployment profiles manage licenses for VM-Series firewalls.

A . Edit the current deployment profile to remove the Advanced URL Filtering license: This is the correct approach. Deployment profiles are used to define the licenses associated with VM-Series firewalls. Modifying the profile directly updates the licensing for all firewalls using that profile.

B . On the firewall, issue this command: > delete url subscription license: This command does not exist. Licenses are managed through the deployment profile, not directly on the firewall via CLI in this context.

C . Add a new deployment profile with all the licenses selected except Advanced URL Filtering: While this would work, it's less efficient than simply editing the existing profile.

D . Delete the current deployment profile from the cloud service provider: This is too drastic. Deleting the profile would remove all licensing and configuration associated with it, not just the Advanced URL Filtering license.

Answer : A, B, E

Firewall flex credits and authcodes are used to license VM-Series firewalls. The methods for using authcodes during bootstrapping include:

A . /config/bootstrap.xml file of complete bootstrapping package: The bootstrap.xml file is a key component of the bootstrapping process. It can contain the authcode for licensing.

B . /license/authcodes file of complete bootstrap package: A dedicated authcodes file within the bootstrap package is another valid method for providing license information.

C . Panorama device group in Panorama SW Licensing Plugin: While Panorama manages licenses, specifying authcodes directly via a device group is not the typical method for bootstrapping. Panorama usually manages licenses after the firewalls are bootstrapped and connected to Panorama.

D . authcodes= key value pair of Azure Vault configuration: While using Azure Key Vault for storing and retrieving secrets (like authcodes) is a good security practice for ongoing operations, it's not the primary method for initial bootstrapping using flex credits. Bootstrapping typically relies on the local bootstrap package.

E . authcodes= key value pair of basic bootstrapping configuration: This refers to including the authcode directly in the bootstrapping configuration, such as in the init-cfg.txt file or via cloud-init.

Answer : B

A . VM-Series firewalls cannot be used to protect container environments: This is incorrect. While CN-Series is specifically designed for container environments, VM-Series can also be used in certain container deployments, often in conjunction with other container networking solutions. For example, VM-Series can be deployed as a gateway for a Kubernetes cluster.

B . All NGFW platforms support API integration: This is correct. Palo Alto Networks firewalls, including PA-Series (hardware), VM-Series (virtualized), CN-Series (containerized), and Cloud NGFW, offer robust API support for automation, integration with other systems, and programmatic management. This is a core feature of their platform approach.

C . Panorama is the only unified management console for all NGFWs: This is incorrect. While Panorama is a powerful centralized management platform, it's not the only option. Individual firewalls can be managed locally via their web interface or CLI. Additionally, Cloud NGFW has its own management interface within the cloud provider's console.

D. CN-Series firewalls are used to protect virtualized environments: This is incorrect. CN-Series is specifically designed for containerized environments (e.g., Kubernetes, OpenShift), not general virtualized environments. VM-Series is the appropriate choice for virtualized environments (e.g., VMware vSphere, AWS EC2).

Answer : A, C, D

Cloud NGFW for Azure and VM-Series share certain functionalities due to their common PAN-OS foundation.

Why A, C, and D are correct:

A . Panorama management: Both Cloud NGFW for Azure and VM-Series firewalls can be managed by Panorama, providing centralized management and policy enforcement.

C . Transparent inspection of private-to-private east-west traffic that preserves client source IP address: Both platforms support this type of inspection, which is crucial for security and visibility within Azure virtual networks.

D . Inter-VNet inspection through a transit VNet: Both can be deployed in a transit VNet architecture to inspect traffic between different virtual networks.

Why B and E are incorrect:

B . Inter-VNet inspection through Virtual WAN hub: While VM-Series can be integrated with Azure Virtual WAN, Cloud NGFW for Azure is directly integrated and doesn't require a separate transit VNet or hub for basic inter-VNet inspection. It uses Azure's native networking.

E . Use of routing intent policies to apply security policies: Routing intent is specific to Cloud NGFW for Azure's integration with Azure networking and is not a feature of VM-Series. VM-Series uses standard security policies and routing configurations within the VNet.

Palo Alto Networks Reference:

Cloud NGFW for Azure Documentation: This documentation details the architecture and integration with Azure networking.

VM-Series Deployment Guide for Azure: This guide covers deployment architectures, including transit VNet deployments.

Panorama Administrator's Guide: This guide explains how to manage both platforms using Panorama.

Answer : C

The default interzone rule in PAN-OS is typically set to 'deny.' While this is generally secure, the logging is not enabled by default. In public cloud deployments, enabling logging for the interzone-default rule is crucial for visibility and troubleshooting.

Why C is correct: Overriding the action of the interzone-default rule is generally not recommended (unless you have very specific requirements). The default 'deny' action is a core security principle. However, overriding the logging is essential. By enabling logging, you gain visibility into any traffic that is denied by this default rule, which is vital for security auditing and troubleshooting connectivity issues.

Why A, B, and D are incorrect:

A: The intrazone-default rule allows traffic within the same zone by default. While logging is always good practice, it's less critical than logging denied interzone traffic.

B: The default service for the interzone rule is 'any,' which is appropriate given the default action is 'deny.' Changing the service doesn't inherently improve security in the context of a default deny rule.

D: Similar to B, changing the service on the intrazone rule is not the primary security concern in cloud deployments.

Palo Alto Networks Reference:

While there isn't one specific document stating 'always enable logging on the interzone-default rule in the cloud,' this is a best practice emphasized in various Palo Alto Networks resources related to cloud security and VM-Series deployments.

Look for guidance in:

VM-Series Deployment Guides for your cloud provider (AWS, Azure, GCP): These guides often contain security best practices, including recommendations for logging.

Best Practice Assessment (BPA) checks: The BPA tool often flags missing logging on interzone rules as a finding.

Live Online training for VM-Series and Cloud Security: Palo Alto Networks training courses frequently emphasize the importance of logging for visibility and troubleshooting in cloud environments.

The core principle is that in cloud environments, network visibility is paramount. Logging denied traffic is a critical component of that visibility.

Answer : B, D

When using Software NGFW credits and deploying PAN-OS VMs, specific deployment models apply.

Why B and D are correct:

B . Fixed vCPU models: These are pre-defined VM sizes with a fixed number of vCPUs and memory. Examples include VM-50, VM-100, VM-200, etc. When using fixed vCPU models, you consume a fixed number of credits per hour based on the chosen model.

D . Flexible vCPUs: This option allows you to dynamically allocate vCPUs and memory within a defined range. Credit consumption is calculated based on the actual resources used. This provides more granular control over resource allocation and cost.

Why A and C are incorrect:

A . VM-100: While VM-100 is a valid fixed vCPU model, it's not a type of VM selection. It's a specific instance within the 'Fixed vCPU models' type. Choosing 'VM-100' is choosing a specific fixed vCPU model.

C . Flexible model of working memory: While you do configure the memory alongside vCPUs in the flexible model, the type of selection is 'Flexible vCPUs.' The flexible model encompasses both vCPU and memory flexibility.

Palo Alto Networks Reference:

The Palo Alto Networks documentation on VM-Series firewalls in public clouds and the associated licensing models (including the use of credits) explicitly describe the 'Fixed vCPU models' and 'Flexible vCPUs' as the two primary deployment options when using credits. The documentation details how credit consumption is calculated for each model.

Specifically, look for information on:

VM-Series Deployment Guide for your cloud provider (AWS, Azure, GCP): These guides detail the different deployment options and how to use credits.

VM-Series Licensing and Credits Documentation: This documentation provides details on how credits are consumed with fixed and flexible models.

For example, the VM-Series Deployment Guide for AWS states:

Fixed vCPU models: These are pre-defined VM sizes... You select a specific VM model (e.g., VM-50, VM-100, VM-300), and you are billed a fixed number of credits per hour.

Flexible vCPUs: This option allows you to specify the number of vCPUs and amount of memory... You are billed based on the actual resources you use.