Palo Alto Networks Palo Alto Networks Certifications PCSFE Questions & Answers

• Question 21:

  When implementing active-active high availability (HA), which feature must be configured to allow the HA pair to share a single IP address that may be used as the network's gateway IP address?

  A. ARP load sharing

  B. Floating IP address

  C. HSRP

  D. VRRP

  Correct Answer: B

• Question 22:

  What can be implemented in a CN-Series to protect communications between Dockers?

  A. Firewalling

  B. Runtime security

  C. Vulnerability management

  D. Data loss prevention (DLP)

  Correct Answer: A

  Explanation: CN-Series firewall can protect communications between Dockers by firewalling. Dockers are software platforms that provide containerization technology for packaging and running applications in isolated environments. Communications between Dockers are network connections between containers within a Docker host or across Docker hosts. CN-Series firewall is a containerized firewall that integrates with Kubernetes and provides visibility and control over container traffic. CN-Series firewall can protect communications between Dockers by firewalling, which is the process of inspecting and enforcing security policies on network traffic based on application, user, content, and threat information. CN-Series firewall can also leverage threat prevention technologies, such as antivirus, anti-spyware, vulnerability protection, URL filtering, file blocking, data filtering, and WildFire analysis, to block any malicious content or activity in the communications between Dockers. CN-Series firewall does not protect communications between Dockers by runtime security, vulnerability management, or data loss prevention (DLP), as those are not features or functions of CN-Series firewall. References: [Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE)], [CN-Series Datasheet], [CN-Series Concepts], [What is Docker?]

• Question 23:

  Which two factors lead to improved return on investment for prospects interested in Palo Alto Networks virtualized next-generation firewalls (NGFWs)? (Choose two.)

  A. Decreased likelihood of data breach

  B. Reduced operational expenditures

  C. Reduced time to deploy

  D. Reduced insurance premiums

  Correct Answer: AC

  Explanation: The two factors that lead to improved return on investment for prospects interested in Palo Alto Networks virtualized next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) are: Decreased likelihood of data breach Reduced time to deploy Palo Alto Networks virtualized NGFWs are virtualized versions of the Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewall that can be deployed on various cloud or virtualization platforms. Palo Alto Networks virtualized NGFWs provide comprehensive security and visibility across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, protecting applications and data from cyberattacks. By using Palo Alto Networks virtualized NGFWs, prospects can decrease the likelihood of data breach by applying granular security policies based on application, user, content, and threat information, and by leveraging cloud-delivered services such as Threat Prevention, WildFire, URL Filtering, DNS Security, and Cortex Data Lake. By using Palo Alto Networks virtualized NGFWs, prospects can also reduce the time to deploy by taking advantage of automation and orchestration tools such as Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation, ARM templates, and Panorama plugins that simplify and accelerate the deployment and configuration of firewalls across different cloud platforms. Reduced operational expenditures and reduced insurance premiums are not factors that lead to improved return on investment for prospects interested in Palo Alto Networks virtualized NGFWs, but they may be potential benefits or outcomes of using them. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [VM-Series Datasheet], [CN-Series Datasheet], [Cloud Security Solutions]

• Question 24:

  Which two features of CN-Series firewalls protect east-west traffic between pods in different trust zones? (Choose two.)

  A. Intrusion prevention system

  B. Communication with Panorama

  C. External load balancer

  D. Layer 7 visibility

  Correct Answer: AD

  Explanation: The two features of CN-Series firewalls that protect east-west traffic between pods in different trust zones are: Intrusion prevention system Layer 7 visibility East-west traffic is the traffic that flows between applications or workloads within a network or a cloud environment. Pods are the smallest units of deployment in Kubernetes, consisting of one or more containers that share resources and network space. Trust zones are segments of the network or the cloud environment that have different levels of security requirements or policies based on data sensitivity, user identity, device type, or application function. CN-Series firewalls are containerized firewalls that integrate with Kubernetes and provide visibility and control over container traffic. Intrusion prevention system is a feature of CN-Series firewalls that protects east-west traffic between pods in different trust zones by detecting and blocking known exploits and vulnerabilities using signature-based and behavior-based methods. Layer 7 visibility is a feature of CN-Series firewalls that protects east-west traffic between pods in different trust zones by identifying and classifying applications and protocols based on their content and characteristics, regardless of port, encryption, or evasion techniques. Communication with Panorama and external load balancer are not features of CN-Series firewalls that protect east-west traffic between pods in different trust zones, but they are related features that can enhance management and performance. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [CN-Series Concepts], [CN-Series Deployment Guide for Native K8], [Intrusion Prevention System Overview], [App-ID Overview]

• Question 25:

  Which software firewall would help a prospect interested in securing an environment with Kubernetes?

  A. KN-Series

  B. ML-Series

  C. VM-Series

  D. CN-Series

  Correct Answer: D

  Explanation: CN-Series firewall is the software firewall that would help a prospect interested in securing an environment with Kubernetes. Kubernetes is a platform that provides orchestration, automation, and management of containerized applications. Kubernetes environment requires network security that can protect the inter-service communication from cyberattacks and enforce granular security policies based on application or workload characteristics. CN-Series firewall is a containerized firewall that integrates with Kubernetes and provides visibility and control over container traffic. CN- Series firewall can help a prospect interested in securing an environment with Kubernetes by inspecting and enforcing security policies on traffic between containers within a pod, across pods, or across namespaces in a Kubernetes cluster. KN-Series, ML-Series, VM- Series, and Cloud next-generation firewall are not software firewalls that would help a prospect interested in securing an environment with Kubernetes, but they are related solutions that can be deployed on different platforms or environments. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [CN-Series Datasheet], [CN- Series Concepts], [What is Kubernetes?]

• Question 26:

  Why are containers uniquely suitable for runtime security based on allow lists?

  A. Containers have only a few defined processes that should ever be executed.

  B. Developers define the processes used in containers within the Dockerfile.

  C. Docker has a built-in runtime analysis capability to aid in allow listing.

  D. Operations teams know which processes are used within a container.

  Correct Answer: A

  Explanation: Containers are uniquely suitable for runtime security based on allow lists because containers have only a few defined processes that should ever be executed. Developers can specify the processes that are allowed to run in a container using a Dockerfile, but this does not guarantee that only those processes will run at runtime. Therefore, using an allow list approach can prevent any unauthorized or malicious processes from running in a container2. References: Container Security

• Question 27:

  What can software next-generation firewall (NGFW) credits be used to provision?

  A. Remote browser isolation

  B. Virtual Panorama appliances

  C. Migrating NGFWs from hardware to VMs

  D. Enablement of DNS security

  Correct Answer: C

  Explanation: Software next-generation firewall (NGFW) credits can be used to provision migrating NGFWs from hardware to VMs. Software NGFW credits are a flexible licensing model that allows customers to purchase and consume software NGFWs as needed, without having to specify the platform or deployment model upfront. Customers can use software NGFW credits to migrate their existing hardware NGFWs to VM-Series firewalls on any supported cloud or virtualization platform, or to deploy new VM-Series firewalls as their needs grow. Software NGFW credits cannot be used to provision remote browser isolation, virtual Panorama appliances, or enablement of DNS security, as those are separate solutions that require different licenses or subscriptions. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [Software NGFW Credits Datasheet], [Software NGFW Credits FAQ]

• Question 28:

  Which PAN-OS feature allows for automated updates to address objects when VM-Series firewalls are setup as part of an NSX deployment?

  A. Boundary automation

  B. Hypervisor integration

  C. Bootstrapping

  D. Dynamic Address Group

  Correct Answer: D

  Explanation: Dynamic Address Group is the PAN-OS feature that allows for automated updates to address objects when VM-Series firewalls are setup as part of an NSX deployment. NSX is a software-defined network (SDN) solution that provides network virtualization, automation, and security for cloud-native applications. Dynamic Address Group is an object that represents a group of IP addresses based on criteria such as tags, regions, interfaces, or user-defined attributes. Dynamic Address Group allows Security policies to adapt dynamically to changes in the network topology or workload characteristics without requiring manual updates. When VM-Series firewalls are setup as part of an NSX deployment, they can leverage the NSX tags assigned to virtual machines (VMs) or containers by the NSX manager or controller to populate Dynamic Address Groups and update Security policies accordingly. Boundary automation, Hypervisor integration, and Bootstrapping are not PAN-OS features that allow for automated updates to address objects when VM-Series firewalls are setup as part of an NSX deployment, but they are related concepts that can be used for other purposes. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [Dynamic Address Groups Overview], [Deploy the VM-Series Firewall on VMware NSX]

• Question 29:

  Which technology allows for granular control of east-west traffic in a software-defined network?

  A. Routing

  B. Microseqmentation

  C. MAC Access Control List

  D. Virtualization

  Correct Answer: B

  Explanation: Microsegmentation is a technology that allows for granular control of east- west traffic in a software-defined network. Microsegmentation divides the network into smaller segments or zones based on application or workload characteristics, and applies security policies to each segment. This reduces the attack surface and prevents unauthorized access or lateral movement within the network. Routing, MAC Access Control List, and Virtualization are not technologies that provide microsegmentation, but they are related concepts that can be used in conjunction with microsegmentation. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [Microsegmentation with Palo Alto Networks], [Microsegmentation for Dummies]

• Question 30:

  What is required to integrate a Palo Alto Networks VM-Series firewall with Azure Orchestration?

  A. Aperture orchestration engine

  B. Client-ID

  C. Dynamic Address Groups

  D. API Key

  Correct Answer: D

  Explanation: To integrate a Palo Alto Networks VM-Series firewall with Azure Orchestration, you need an API Key. The API Key is used to authenticate and authorize requests from Azure Orchestration to the VM-Series firewall. The API Key is generated on the VM-Series firewall and copied to Azure Orchestration. References: [Azure Orchestration Integration with Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Firewalls]