Paloalto Networks NetSec-Generalist - Palo Alto Networks Network Security Generalist

AnION device(used in Prisma SD-WAN) must be configured inAnalytics modeat a newly acquired site toaudit traffic without steering it. This mode allows administrators tomonitor network behaviorwithout activelymodifying traffic paths.

Passively Observes Traffic

TheION device monitors and logs site trafficfor analysis.

No active controlover routing or traffic flow is applied.

Useful for Network Auditing Before Full Deployment

Analytics mode providesvisibility into site trafficbefore committing toSD-WAN policy changes.

Helpsidentify optimization opportunitiesandtroubleshoot connectivitybefore enabling traffic steering.

(A) Access Mode– Enablesactive routing and steeringof traffic, which isnot desiredfor passive auditing.

(B) Control Mode–Actively controls traffic flowsand enforces policies, not suitable for observation-only setups.

(C) Disabled Mode– Thedevice would not functionin this mode, making it useless for traffic monitoring.

Firewall Deployment– Prisma SD-WAN ION devices must be placed in Analytics mode for initial audits.

Zero Trust Architectures– Helps assess security risks before enabling active controls.

Why Analytics Mode is the Correct Choice?Other Answer Choices AnalysisReferences and Justification:Thus,Analytics Mode (D) is the correct answer, as it allows auditing of site traffic without traffic steering.

ABest Practice Assessment (BPA)evaluates firewall configurations against Palo Alto Networks' recommendedbest practices. In this case, theCloud-Delivered Security Services (CDSS)update settings do not align with best practices, as they are currently set toweekly updates, whichdelays threat prevention.

Applications and Threats – Update Daily

Regular updates ensure the firewalldetects and blocks the latest exploits, vulnerabilities, and malware.

Weekly updates aretoo slowand leave the network vulnerable to newly discovered attacks.

WildFire – Update Every Five Minutes

WildFire is Palo Alto Networks' cloud-based malware analysis engine, whichidentifies and mitigates new threats in near real-time.

Updating every five minutesensures that newly discovered malware signatures are applied quickly.

A weekly update would significantlydelaythreat response.

(B) Antivirus should be updated daily.

While frequent updates are recommended,Antivirus in Palo Alto firewalls is updated hourly by default(not daily).

(D) URL Filtering should be updated hourly.

URL Filtering databases are updated dynamically in the cloud, and do not require fixed hourly updates.

URL filtering effectiveness depends on cloud integration rather than frequent updates.

Firewall Deployment– Ensuring dynamic updates align with best practices enhances security.

Security Policies– Applications, Threats, and WildFire updates are critical for enforcing protection policies.

Threat Prevention & WildFire– Frequent updates reduce the window of exposure to new threats.

Panorama– Updates can be managed centrally for branch offices.

Zero Trust Architectures– Requires real-time threat intelligence updates.

Best Practices for Dynamic Updates in the Precision AI BundleOther Answer Choices AnalysisReferences and Justification:Thus,Applications & Threats (A) should be updated daily, and WildFire (C) should be updated every five minutesto maintainoptimal security posturein accordance with BPA recommendations.

Prisma Access providessecure remote accessformobile users, but by default, mobile userscannot access internal sites unless explicitly configured.

Service Connection establishes a secure tunnelbetween Prisma Access and the internal network.

Allows direct routing between mobile users and internal applications.

Enables access without requiring additional VPN connections.

Ensures that Prisma Access can securely route trafficbetween mobile users and the internal site.

A. Interconnect license❌

Interconnect provides higher bandwidth connectionsbetween Prisma Access and multiple regions, but itdoes not create routing to internal networks.

C. Autonomous Digital Experience Manager (ADEM)❌

ADEM is used for network experience monitoring, not for routing or connectivity.

D. Security Processing Node❌

Security processing nodes handle threat inspection, but theydo not create routing connectionsbetween Prisma Access and internal networks.

Firewall Deployment– Service connectionsextend internal network access.

Security Policies– Enforces policies on traffic betweenmobile users and internal resources.

VPN Configurations– Ensuressecure IPsec/GRE tunnelsbetween Prisma Access and on-prem networks.

Threat Prevention– Inspects mobile-to-internal traffic for threats.

WildFire Integration– Scans transferred files betweenmobile users and internal sites.

Zero Trust Architectures– Ensuressecure access control for mobile users accessing internal applications.

How Service Connection Enables Routing Between Mobile Users and Internal Sites:Why Other Options Are Incorrect?References to Firewall Deployment and Security Features:Thus, the correct answer is:✅B. Service connection

Cloudhigh availability (HA)strategies differ from traditional HA deployments in physical firewalls.Cloud NGFWprovidescloud-nativehigh availability options that align withcloud architectures, particularly inAWS and Azure environments.

Cloud NGFW automatically scales up or downbased ontraffic demandandload conditions.

This ensuresconsistent security enforcementwithout manual intervention.

Auto-scaling is managed by cloud-native services (AWS Auto Scaling, Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets, etc.).

Cloud NGFW can beintegrated with cloud-native load balancers(AWS Elastic Load Balancing, Azure Load Balancer) to distribute traffic.

This helps ensurehigh availabilityandfailoverin case of firewall instance failures.

B. Terraform to automate HA❌

Terraform automates infrastructure provisioning, but itdoes not inherently provide HA.

Ithelps automate HA configuration, butdoes not directly provide HA functionality.

C. Dedicated vNIC for HA❌

Cloud NGFW does not use dedicated vNICs for HA—it relies oncloud-native failover mechanisms.

Dedicated vNICs aremore relevant for on-prem HA deployments.

Firewall Deployment– Cloud NGFW supportsHA through autoscaling and load balancing.

Security Policies– Ensurespolicies remain enforced across dynamically scaled instances.

VPN Configurations– Works withIPsec VPNs in cloud deployments.

Threat Prevention– Maintains security inspection even duringautoscaling events.

WildFire Integration– Ensuresmalware inspection is consistently available.

Zero Trust Architectures– EnforcesZero Trust security at scale.

1. Automated Autoscaling (✔️ Correct)2. Deployed with Load Balancers (✔️ Correct)Why Other Options Are Incorrect?References to Firewall Deployment and Security Features:Thus, the correct answers are:✅A. Automated autoscaling✅D. Deployed with load balancers

ACN-Series firewallis acontainer-native firewalldesigned to provide security inside Kubernetes environments. It is usedin addition toaVM-Series firewall, which primarily protectscloud and virtualized workloads.

Themain security benefit of CN-Seriesis that itprevents lateral movement of threats within the container itselfby enforcing:

Microsegmentation within Kubernetes clusters

Deep packet inspection for inter-container communication

Zero Trust enforcement inside containerized applications

Containers are highly dynamic, and traditional firewallscannot inspect intra-container traffic.

TheCN-Series firewall enforces microsegmentation, blocking unauthorized communication between compromised containers.

Prevents malware or attackers from spreading within the Kubernetes environment.

(A) Provides perimeter threat detection outside the container–

This describesVM-Series firewalls, not CN-Series.

(C) Monitors and logs traffic outside the container–

CN-Seriesmonitors intra-container traffic, not just traffic outside the container.

(D) Enables core zone segmentation within the container–

The correct term ismicrosegmentation, but the key benefit is preventing lateral movement.

Zero Trust Architectures– Enforces least-privilege accesswithin containers.

Threat Prevention & WildFire– Preventsmalware from spreading between containers.

Why Preventing Lateral Threat Movement is the Correct Answer?Other Answer Choices AnalysisReferences and Justification:Thus,CN-Series Firewall (B) is the correct answer, as it preventslateral threat movement within the container itself.

Prisma Access, a cloud-delivered security platform by Palo Alto Networks, supports specific predefined zones to streamline policy creation and enforcement. These zones are integral to how traffic is managed and secured within the service.

Available Zones in Prisma Access:

Trust Zone:This zone encompasses all trusted and onboarded IP addresses, service connections, ormobile users within the corporate network. Traffic originating from these entities is considered trusted.

Untrust Zone:This zone includes all untrusted IP addresses, service connections, or mobile users outside the corporate network. By default, any IP address or mobile user that is not designated as trusted falls into this category.

Clientless VPN Zone:Designed to provide secure remote access to common enterprise web applications that utilize HTML, HTML5, and JavaScript technologies. This feature allows users to securely access applications from SSL-enabled web browsers without the need to install client software, which is particularly useful for enabling partner or contractor access to applications and for safely accommodating unmanaged assets, including personal devices. Notably, the Clientless VPN zone is mapped to the trust zone by default, and this setting cannot be changed.

Analysis of Options:

A. DMZ:A Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a physical or logical subnetwork that separates an internal local area network (LAN) from other untrusted networks, typically the internet. While traditional network architectures often employ a DMZ to add an extra layer of security, Prisma Access does not specifically define or utilize a DMZ zone within its predefined zone structure.

B. Interzone:In the context of Prisma Access, "interzone" is not a predefined zone available for user configuration. However, it's worth noting that Prisma Access logs may display a zone labeled "inter-fw," which pertains to internal communication within the Prisma Access infrastructure and is not intended for user-defined policy application.

C. Intrazone:Intrazone typically refers to traffic within the same zone. While security policies can be configured to allow or deny intrazone traffic, "Intrazone" itself is not a standalone zone available for configuration in Prisma Access.

D. Clientless VPN:As detailed above, the Clientless VPN is a predefined zone in Prisma Access, designed to facilitate secure, clientless access to web applications.

Conclusion:

Among the options provided,D. Clientless VPNis the correct answer, as it is an available predefined zone in Prisma Access.

References:

Palo Alto Networks. "Prisma Access Zones."https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma-access/administration/prisma-access-setup/prisma-access-zones

A company usingPrisma Accesstosecure Google Workspace accesswhileblocking unsanctioned Google tenantsmust implementTenant Restrictions.

Restricts Google Workspace Access to Approved Tenants

Tenant restrictions allow only authorized Google Workspace tenants(e.g., the company’s official domain) andblock access to personal or unauthorized instances.

Prevents Data Exfiltration & Shadow IT Risks

Without tenant restrictions, users could log intopersonal Google accountsandtransfer corporate datatoexternal environments.

Works with Prisma Access Security Policies

Prisma Accessenforces tenant restrictionsat the cloud level, ensuring compliancewithout requiring local device policies.

(A) Dynamic Address Groups

Used togroup IPs dynamicallybased on tags but doesnot control SaaS tenant access.

(C) Dynamic User Groups

Used forrole-based access control(RBAC),not for restricting Google Workspace tenants.

(D) URL Category

Canfilter web categories, butcannot differentiate between different Google Workspace tenants.

Firewall Deployment & Security Policies– Tenant restrictions enforceGoogle Workspace access policies.

Threat Prevention & WildFire– Prevents data exfiltration viaunauthorized Google accounts.

Zero Trust Architectures– Ensuresonly authorized cloud tenantsare accessible.

Why are Tenant Restrictions the Right Choice?Other Answer Choices AnalysisReferences and Justification:Thus,Tenant Restrictions (B) is the correct answer, as it effectivelyblocks access to unsanctioned Google Workspace environmentswhile allowing corporate-approved tenants.

WhenAdvanced URL Filteringis enabled,Credential Phishing Preventioncan be activated toprotect against phishing attacksby blocking unauthorized credential submissions.

Uses Username-to-IP Mapping– Identifies usersbased on their IP and login credentials.

Prevents Credential Theft– Blocks users from submitting corporate credentials tountrusted or malicious websites.

Works Alongside Advanced URL Filtering– Detects and categorizesphishing domains in real-time, stopping credential leaks.

Can Enforce Action-Based Policies– Configures policies toalert, block, or validate credential submissions.

A. Host Information Profile (HIP)❌

Incorrect, becauseHIP checks device healthbut does notprevent credential phishing.

C. Client Probing❌

Incorrect, becauseClient Probing is used for User-ID mapping, notphishing prevention.

D. Indexed Data Matching❌

Incorrect, becauseIndexed Data Matching is used for DLP (Data Loss Prevention), not for credential protection.

Firewall Deployment– Protectsuser credentials from phishing attacks.

Security Policies– Ensuresusers do not submit credentials to malicious sites.

VPN Configurations– Protectsremote users connecting via GlobalProtectfrom credential theft.

Threat Prevention– Works withThreat Intelligenceto detect new phishing sites.

WildFire Integration– Scansunknown websites for phishing behaviors.

Panorama– Centralized enforcement ofCredential Phishing Prevention policies.

Zero Trust Architectures– Ensuresonly legitimate authentication events occur within trusted environments.

How Credential Phishing Prevention Works:Why Other Options Are Incorrect?References to Firewall Deployment and Security Features:Thus, the correct answer is:✅B. Credential phishing prevention

In aZero Trust Architecture (ZTA), network segmentation is critical toprevent unauthorized lateral movementwithin a flat network. Since the hospital system allowsmobile medical imaging trailersto connect directly to its internal network, this poses asignificant security risk, as these trailers may introducemalware, vulnerabilities, or unauthorized accessto sensitive medical data.

The mostcost-effectiveandpracticalsolution in this scenario is:

Creating separate security zonesfor the imaging trailers.

Applying access control and inspection policiesvia the hospital’sexisting core firewallsinstead of deploying new hardware.

Implementing strict policy enforcementto ensure that only authorized communication occurs between the trailers and the hospital’s network.

Network Segmentation for Zero Trust

By placing the medical imaging trailers in theirown firewall-enforced zone, they areisolated from the main hospital network.

Thisreduces attack surfaceand prevents an infected trailer from spreading malware to critical hospital systems.

Granular security policies ensureonly necessary communicationsoccur between zones.

Cost-Effective Approach

Usesexisting core firewallsinstead of deploying costly additional edge firewalls at every campus.

Reduces complexityby leveraging the current security infrastructure.

Visibility & Security Enforcement

Thefirewall enforces security policies, such asallowing only medical imaging protocolswhile blocking unauthorized traffic.

Integration withThreat Prevention and WildFireensures that malicious files or traffic anomalies are detected.

Logging and monitoring via Panoramahelps the security team track and respond to threats effectively.

(A) Deploy edge firewalls at each campus entry point

This is an expensive approach, requiring multiple hardware firewalls at every hospital location.

While effective, it isnot the most cost-efficientsolution when existingcore firewallscan enforce the necessary segmentation and policies.

(B) Manually inspect large images like holograms and MRIs

Thisdoes not align with Zero Trust principles.

Manual inspection is impractical, as it slows down medical workflows.

Threats do not depend on image size; malware can be embedded in small and large files alike.

(D) Configure access control lists (ACLs) on core switches

ACLs are limited in security enforcement, as they operate atLayer 3/4and do not providedeep inspection(e.g., malware scanning, user authentication, or Zero Trust enforcement).

Firewalls offerapplication-layer visibility, which ACLs on switches cannot provide.

Switches do not log and analyze threatslike firewalls do.

Firewall Deployment– Firewall-enforced network segmentation is akey practice in Zero Trust.

Security Policies–Granular policiesensure medical imaging traffic is controlled and monitored.

VPN Configurations– If remote trailers are involved, secure VPN access can be enforced within the zones.

Threat Prevention & WildFire– Firewalls can scan imaging files (e.g., DICOM images) for malware.

Panorama– Centralized visibility into all traffic between hospital zones and trailers.

Zero Trust Architectures– This solutionfollows Zero Trust principlesby segmenting untrusted devices and enforcing least privilege access.

Why Separate Zones with Enforcement is the Best Solution?Other Answer Choices AnalysisReferences and Justification:Thus,Configuring separate zones (C) is the correct answer, as it providescost-effective segmentation, Zero Trust enforcement, and security visibilityusing existing firewall infrastructure.