Fortinet NSE7_SSE_AD-25 - Fortinet NSE 7 - FortiSASE 25 Enterprise Administrator

In FortiSASE, the requirement to redirect specific traffic away from the secure tunnel and through the local physical interface is achieved through Steering Bypass (commonly referred to as split tunneling).

Steering Bypass Destinations: This feature is configured within the Endpoint Profile settings. When an administrator adds a destination (such as the Google Maps URL or FQDN) to the Steering Bypass table, the FortiClient agent updates the local routing table on the endpoint.

Traffic Redirection: Traffic matching these bypass rules is explicitly excluded from the FortiSASE VPN tunnel and instead sent directly out of the device's local internet gateway (physical interface). This is ideal for optimizing bandwidth and reducing latency for trusted, high-volume applications like mapping services or video conferencing.

Analysis of Other Options:

Option A: ZTNA TCP access proxy rules are designed for secure access to private applications, not for managing how internet-bound traffic is routed.

Option B: While it uses the term "steering bypass," there is no "tunnel firewall policy" configuration for this purpose; the configuration is done at the endpoint profile level.

Option C: Exempting a URL in the Web Filter profile only instructs FortiSASE to skip security scanning (AV, DLP, etc.) for that traffic. The traffic would still be encapsulated in the tunnel and sent to FortiSASE, which does not meet the requirement to redirect it to the physical interface.

By configuring the Google Maps URL as a steering bypass destination, the organization ensures the traffic never enters the SASE tunnel, fulfilling the requirement for both traffic inspection (for all other traffic) and local redirection (for Google Maps).

In FortiSASE Secure Private Access (SPA) deployments, establishing a stable connection between the FortiSASE PoPs and the corporate FortiGate hub relies on two primary layers: the IPsec Tunnel and the BGP Peering.

Exhibit Analysis: The exhibit (image_577e17.jpg) shows the status of several Security PoPs (Singapore, Tokyo, Frankfurt, and San Jose) connected to an "FGT-Hub".

Tunnel Status vs. BGP Status: For all listed PoPs, the Health Check IP Status and Tunnel status are both shown with a green "Up" icon. This confirms that the underlying IPsec connectivity and the physical path between the SASE cloud and the hub are functioning correctly.

Identifying the Failure: The BGP Peering State is reported as Active. In BGP terminology, the "Active" state specifically indicates that the router is attempting to initiate a TCP connection with its peer but has not yet received a response. A fully functional and successful BGP connection must reach the Established state.

Root Cause Determination: Since the tunnel is up (eliminating Gateway or Authentication Method issues as the primary suspects) but the BGP state remains stuck in "Active," the most likely cause is a mismatch or misconfiguration in the BGP Peer IP or BGP neighbor settings. This prevents the exchange of routing information necessary for users to access private applications.

To resolve the connectivity problem, the administrator must ensure that the BGP neighbor IPs configured on the FortiGate hub match those assigned by the FortiSASE orchestration and that firewall policies on the hub allow BGP traffic (TCP port 179) across the tunnel.

In a default FortiSASE deployment, endpoints are typically onboarded using a shared invitation code sent via email. While this code simplifies deployment, it can represent a security risk if the code is leaked or intercepted, as any device with the code could potentially register with the SASE management service.

User Verification (SAML SSO): To mitigate this risk, administrators can enable user verification as an additional layer of security.3 When this feature is enforced, entering the invitation code is no longer sufficient to complete registration.

Authentication Workflow: After the end user enters the invitation code in FortiClient, they are prompted to provide their corporate credentials via a SAML SSO login.5 FortiSASE acts as the Service Provider (SP), while an external identity provider (IdP) such as Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, or FortiAuthenticator verifies the user's identity.

Security Benefit: This ensures that only authenticated users—not just anyone with a valid code—can successfully register an endpoint and receive the organization's security and VPN profiles. It prevents unauthorized "shadow" endpoints from joining the managed environment.

Incorrect Options:

Option A: Security posture tags are used after registration to determine if an endpoint is compliant (e.g., checking if an antivirus is active); they do not secure the registration process itself.

Option C and D: Device identification and application inventory are monitoring and visibility features that occur once the endpoint is already managed.

Refer to the exhibit. Based on the configuration shown in image_595357.jpg, FortiSASE will process sessions requiring FortiSandbox inspection in the following two ways:

A. Only endpoints assigned a profile for sandbox detection will be processed by the sandbox feature.

C. All files executed on a USB drive will be sent to FortiSandbox for analysis.

Answer: A, C

The provided exhibit displays an Endpoint Profile configuration specifically for the Sandbox module. This profile controls how the FortiClient agent on remote endpoints interacts with the integrated FortiSASE cloud sandbox engine.

Profile Assignment (A): In the FortiSASE architecture, security and endpoint settings are organized into profiles that must be explicitly assigned to users or user groups via endpoint policies. Consequently, the sandbox detection and remediation features are active only on those endpoints that have been assigned this specific endpoint profile. If an endpoint is not assigned a profile with sandbox enabled, it will not submit files for analysis.

Removable Media Analysis (C): Under the File Submission Options, the toggle for All Files Executed from Removable Media is enabled (shown in blue). Since USB drives are the most common form of removable media, this configuration ensures that any file executed from a USB drive is intercepted by FortiClient and submitted to the FortiSASE sandbox for behavioral analysis before being allowed to run, protecting the endpoint from offline-delivered threats.

Understanding Verdict Levels (B): The exhibit shows the Action is set to Quarantine and the Sandbox Detection Verdict Level is set to Medium. This configuration functions as a threshold; FortiClient will quarantine any file that receives a verdict of Medium or higher (including High and Malicious). Option B is incorrect because it claims only medium-level files are quarantined, which ignores the high-risk and malicious files that would also be blocked.

Sandbox Mode (D): The Sandbox Mode is clearly set to FortiSASE, which utilizes the built-in cloud-native sandbox. This contradicts Option D, which suggests the use of an on-premises or standalone sandbox appliance.

To meet the requirement of inspecting all endpoint internet traffic on FortiSASE while excluding Google Maps traffic from the FortiSASE VPN tunnel and redirecting it to the endpoint's physical interface, you should configure split tunneling. Split tunneling allows specific traffic to bypass the VPN tunnel and be routed directly through the endpoint's local interface.

Split Tunneling Configuration:

Split tunneling enables selective traffic to be routed outside the VPN tunnel.

By configuring the Google Maps Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) as a split tunneling destination, you ensure that traffic to Google Maps bypasses the VPN tunnel and uses the endpoint's local interface instead.

Implementation Steps:

Access the FortiSASE endpoint profile configuration.

Add the Google Maps FQDN to the split tunneling destinations list.

This configuration directs traffic intended for Google Maps to bypass the VPN tunnel and be routed directly through the endpoint's physical network interface.

To configure a Secure Private Access (SPA) solution to share endpoint information between FortiSASE and a corporate FortiGate, you need to take the following steps:

Add the FortiGate IP address in the secure private access configuration on FortiSASE:

This step allows FortiSASE to recognize and establish a connection with the corporate FortiGate.

Use the FortiClient EMS cloud connector on the corporate FortiGate to connect to FortiSASE:

The EMS (Endpoint Management Server) cloud connector facilitates the integration between FortiClient endpoints and FortiSASE, enabling seamless sharing of endpoint information.

Register FortiGate and FortiSASE under the same FortiCloud account:

By registering both FortiGate and FortiSASE under the same FortiCloud account, you ensure centralized management and synchronization of configurations and policies.

The exhibit (image_6361c9.jpg) displays a standard SASE onboarding email sent from the FortiSASE platform to an end user to facilitate the enrollment of their device.

Communication Source (D): This email is generated by the FortiSASE administrator through the Onboard Users menu in the FortiSASE portal. It provides the user with direct download links for the FortiClient application and a unique Invitation Code required for telemetry connection.

Installer Types and Automation (B): FortiSASE provides two primary methods for deploying the client agent:

Pre-configured Installer: This version is pre-packaged with the organization's unique invitation code built-in. When a user runs this installer, the invitation code step is skipped as the client automatically registers to the correct FortiSASE instance upon installation.

Manual Installer: This version requires the user to manually copy and paste the invitation code from the onboarding email into the FortiClient "Zero Trust Telemetry" menu to complete enrollment.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

Option A: FortiSASE utilizes a unified agent (FortiClient). The components (VPN, ZTNA, Web Filter, etc.) are managed via Endpoint Profiles assigned in the SASE portal and pushed to the client automatically; they are not manually selected by the user during installation.

Option C: As noted above, if the administrator provides a pre-configured installer, the manual entry of the code is not required, making the statement that it must "always" be entered manually false.

The provided exhibit (image_57e69d.jpg) displays the Software Installations dashboard within the FortiSASE portal. This dashboard is a key component of the endpoint visibility and management features provided by the integrated FortiClient EMS functionality.

Visible Metadata: The output provides a granular list of all software detected on managed endpoints, including the application Name, the Vendor (e.g., Igor Pavlov, Microsoft Corporation, Adobe), the specific Version currently installed, and critical timestamps such as First Detected and Last Installed.

Administrative Utility: This information allows an administrator to audit the software environment effectively. By reviewing these details, they can identify unwanted software (PUA), shadow IT, or outdated software versions that may possess known vulnerabilities.

Actions Available: While the primary view is informational, the presence of the View Endpoints button (visible in the top-left) allows administrators to pivot from a specific application to a list of all individual devices where that software is present, facilitating targeted remediation.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

Option A: While FortiSASE manages profiles and tags, this specific "Software Installations" view is focused purely on software inventory.

Option B: Although the "First Detected" date is visible, FortiSASE does not support "automatic patching" of third-party software directly from this inventory screen.

Option C: The dashboard shows what is installed, not the "latest available" version in the market, nor does it provide a mechanism to "push updates" to these third-party applications.

Zero-trust tags are critical in implementing zero-trust network access (ZTNA) policies. Here are the two key advantages of using zero-trust tags:

Access Control (Allow or Deny):

Zero-trust tags can be used to define policies that either allow or deny access to specific network resources based on the tag associated with the user or device.

This granular control ensures that only authorized users or devices with the appropriate tags can access sensitive resources, thereby enhancing security.

Determining Security Posture:

Zero-trust tags can be utilized to assess and determine the security posture of an endpoint.

Based on the assigned tags, FortiSASE can evaluate the device's compliance with security policies, such as antivirus status, patch levels, and configuration settings.

Devices that do not meet the required security posture can be restricted from accessing the network or given limited access.

Based on the settings shown in the provided exhibits, the vulnerability remediation workflow is determined by the Endpoint Profile and the Vulnerability Dashboard.

Endpoint Profile Evaluation: The top exhibit displays the Scan for Vulnerabilities settings. The toggle for Automatically patch vulnerabilities is explicitly set to Disabled. Consequently, the system will not perform automated remediation when a scan completes.

Manual Patching Requirement: The Vulnerability Dashboard (bottom exhibit) lists several application vulnerabilities with a Patching status of Manual patching required. In a FortiSASE environment, "Manual" indicates that the vulnerability cannot be handled by the client's autonomous update process and requires a direct instruction from the management plane.

Administrative Intervention: The dashboard includes a Patch endpoints action button. Since auto-patching is disabled in the profile, an administrator must manually select the vulnerabilities and click the "Patch endpoints" button to remotely trigger the patching sequence on the managed endpoints via the FortiSASE cloud service.

Workflow Logic: While FortiClient acts as the "conductor" on the local machine to facilitate the download and installation, the trigger for this specific scenario is the administrator's remote action within the portal. This differentiates it from Option D (which is disabled) and Option C (which would involve a user manually browsing a website outside the managed SASE workflow).

FortiSASE is designed as a unified, single-vendor solution that specifically targets the convergence of networking and security to address the modern challenges of a distributed enterprise.2

Multicloud and SaaS Adoption: FortiSASE addresses the surge in cloud-first strategies by providing Next-Generation Dual-Mode CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker).3 This feature uses both inline and API-based inspection to provide comprehensive visibility into sanctioned and unsanctioned SaaS applications (Shadow IT), ensuring that data is protected regardless of whether it resides in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or SaaS platforms like Microsoft 365.

Hybrid Workforce: To support a workforce that moves between the home, the office, and public spaces, FortiSASE delivers consistent security posture.5 It replaces the inconsistent experience of legacy VPNs with a geographically dispersed network of over 150 Points of Presence (PoPs), ensuring low-latency access to applications while maintaining high-performance SSL inspection and threat detection for all remote users.

Zero Trust Integration: Central to the FortiSASE architecture is Universal ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access).7 Unlike traditional VPNs that grant broad network access, ZTNA applies the principle of "never trust, always verify". It grants access on a per-session, per-application basis, continuously verifying the device posture and user identity before and during application access.9 This shift from implicit to explicit trust significantly reduces the internal attack surface and mitigates the risk of lateral movement by attackers.

By integrating these components into a single operating system (FortiOS) and managed via a single console, FortiSASE simplifies IT operations while delivering the visibility and control required for today's multicloud and hybrid environments.