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

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Total 86 questions
Question 1

A customer with multiple virtual private clouds (VPCs) in Amazon Web Services (AWS) protected by the cloud-native firewall experiences a cloud breach. As a result, malware spreads quickly across the VPCs, infecting several workloads.

Which minimum solution should be proposed to prevent similar incidents in the future?



Answer : D

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Step-by-Step Explanation:

The customer's AWS environment, with multiple VPCs protected by a cloud-native firewall, experienced a breach due to malware spreading across VPCs, indicating inadequate segmentation and visibility. The Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall documentation provides guidance on securing multi-VPC AWS environments with Cloud NGFW, focusing on preventing lateral movement and enhancing threat prevention.

Implement a Cloud NGFW for each VPC (Option D): Deploying a Cloud NGFW instance in each VPC ensures localized traffic inspection, segmentation, and control, preventing malware from spreading laterally across VPCs. Cloud NGFW for AWS supports a distributed deployment model, allowing each VPC to have its own firewall instance integrated with AWS services (e.g., VPC routing, Security Groups) to enforce policies, block threats, and maintain visibility. The documentation recommends this approach for multi-VPC environments to minimize risk exposure and ensure granular security, addressing the customer's breach scenario by isolating and securing each VPC independently.

Options A (Purchase a software credit pool for flexible Cloud NGFW deployment across the VPCs), B (Deploy a single Cloud NGFW), and C (Subscribe to Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Protection for the cloud-native firewall) are incorrect. A software credit pool (Option A) is a licensing mechanism, not a deployment solution, and does not address the need for multiple VPC protection. A single Cloud NGFW (Option B) cannot effectively secure multiple VPCs without introducing latency or complexity (e.g., centralized routing), failing to prevent lateral movement as seen in the breach. Advanced Threat Protection (Option C) enhances threat detection but does not resolve the segmentation issue; it requires a distributed deployment (like Option D) to prevent malware spread across VPCs.


Question 2

A company has purchased Palo Alto Networks Software NGFW credits and wants to run PAN-OS 11.x virtual machines (VMs).

Which two types of VMs can be selected when creating the deployment profile? (Choose two.)



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.


Question 3

Which two features offer the ability to manage Cloud NGFW in Azure or AWS? (Choose two.)



Answer : B, C

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Step-by-Step Explanation:

The Cloud NGFW (Next-Generation Firewall) for AWS and Azure is a cloud-native security service that requires specific tools for management and configuration. According to the Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall documentation, the following features are used to manage Cloud NGFW in these public cloud environments:

Palo Alto Networks Ansible playbooks (Option B): Ansible is an automation tool that Palo Alto Networks supports for managing Cloud NGFW deployments. Ansible playbooks use the XML API to automate configuration changes, policy enforcement, and monitoring for Cloud NGFW in AWS and Azure. This allows for scalable and repeatable management, reducing manual effort and ensuring consistency across deployments. The documentation highlights Ansible as a key automation tool for cloud-native firewalls, including Cloud NGFW.

Panorama (Option C): Panorama is Palo Alto Networks' centralized management platform for firewalls, including Cloud NGFW. It provides a unified interface for managing policies, configurations, and logs for Cloud NGFW instances in AWS and Azure. Panorama integrates with the cloud provider's APIs to ensure seamless management, offering features like policy push, logging, and reporting. This is a standard practice for customers requiring centralized control over their cloud security infrastructure.

Options A (Azure Firewall Portal) and D (AWS Firewall Manager) are incorrect. The Azure Firewall Portal is specific to Microsoft Azure's native firewall and does not manage Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW. Similarly, AWS Firewall Manager is a native AWS service for managing AWS WAF and Shield, not Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW. These tools are not designed to integrate with or manage Palo Alto Networks' cloud-native firewall solutions.


Question 4

Which capability, as described in the Securing Applications series of design guides for VM-Series firewalls, is common across Azure, GCP, and AWS?



Answer : C

The question asks about a capability common to VM-Series deployments across Azure, GCP, and AWS, as described in the 'Securing Applications' design guides.

C . Horizontal scalability through cloud-native load balancers: This is the correct answer. A core concept in cloud deployments, and emphasized in the 'Securing Applications' guides, is using cloud-native load balancers (like Azure Load Balancer, Google Cloud Load Balancing, and AWS Elastic Load Balancing) to distribute traffic across multiple VM-Series firewall instances. This provides horizontal scalability, high availability, and fault tolerance. This is common across all three major cloud providers.

Why other options are incorrect:

A . BGP dynamic routing to peer with cloud and on-premises routers: While BGP is supported by VM-Series and can be used for dynamic routing in cloud environments, it is not explicitly highlighted as a common capability across all three clouds in the 'Securing Applications' guides. The guides focus more on the application security aspects and horizontal scaling. Also, the specific BGP configurations and integrations can differ slightly between cloud providers.

B . GlobalProtect portal and gateway services: While GlobalProtect can be used with VM-Series in cloud environments, the 'Securing Applications' guides primarily focus on securing application traffic within the cloud environment, not remote access. GlobalProtect is more relevant for remote user access or site-to-site VPNs, which are not the primary focus of these guides.

D . Site-to-site VPN: While VM-Series firewalls support site-to-site VPNs in all three clouds, this is not the core focus or common capability highlighted in the 'Securing Applications' guides. These guides emphasize securing application traffic within the cloud using techniques like microsegmentation and horizontal scaling.

Palo Alto Networks Reference:

The key reference here is the 'Securing Applications' design guides for VM-Series firewalls. These guides are available on the Palo Alto Networks support site (live.paloaltonetworks.com). Searching for 'VM-Series Securing Applications' along with the name of the respective cloud provider (Azure, GCP, AWS) will usually provide the relevant guides


Question 5

Where are auth codes registered in the bootstrapping process?



Answer : C

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Step-by-Step Explanation:

Bootstrapping is an automation method for VM-Series firewalls that simplifies initial deployment, configuration, licensing, and content updates. The Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall documentation details the process, including how authentication codes (auth codes) are managed during bootstrapping.

Palo Alto Networks Support Portal (Option C): Auth codes, which are used to activate licenses for VM-Series firewalls, must be registered in the Palo Alto Networks Customer Support Portal (also referred to as the Support Portal). During the bootstrapping process, the auth codes are included in the bootstrap package (e.g., in the license file or init-cfg.txt) and are validated against the serial number of the firewall. The Support Portal is where customers register auth codes, generate licenses, and manage credit-based licensing, ensuring the firewall is properly licensed during automated deployment. The documentation emphasizes the Support Portal as the central location for auth code registration and licensing management.

Options A (ESXi server manifest), B (AutoConfig template), and D (Palo Alto Networks App Hub) are incorrect. An ESXi server manifest (Option A) is specific to VMware ESXi and does not handle auth code registration for Palo Alto Networks firewalls. An AutoConfig template (Option B) is not a recognized term in the bootstrapping context; the correct file is init-cfg.txt, but it does not register auth codes---it uses them after registration. The Palo Alto Networks App Hub (Option D) focuses on application visibility and control, not licensing or auth code registration, making it irrelevant for this process.


Question 6

Which three statements describe benefits of the memory scaling feature introduced in PAN-OS 10.2? (Choose three.)



Answer : B, C, E

Memory scaling in PAN-OS 10.2 and later enhances capacity for certain functions.

Why B, C, and E are correct:

B . Increased maximum sessions with additional memory: More memory allows the firewall to maintain state for a larger number of concurrent sessions.

C . Increased maximum number of Dynamic Address Groups with additional memory: DAGs consume memory, so scaling memory allows for more DAGs.

E . Increased maximum security rule count with additional memory: More memory allows the firewall to store and process a larger number of security rules.

Why A and D are incorrect:

A . Increased maximum throughput with additional memory: Throughput is primarily related to CPU and network interface performance, not memory.

D . Increased number of tags per IP address with additional memory: The number of tags per IP is not directly tied to the memory scaling feature.

Palo Alto Networks Reference:

PAN-OS Release Notes for 10.2 and later: The release notes for PAN-OS versions introducing memory scaling explain the benefits in detail.

PAN-OS Administrator's Guide: The guide may also contain information about resource limits and the impact of memory scaling.

The release notes specifically mention the increased capacity for sessions, DAGs, and security rules as key benefits of memory scaling.


Question 7

Which three Palo Alto Networks firewalls protect public cloud environments? (Choose three.)



Answer : A, C, D

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Step-by-Step Explanation:

Palo Alto Networks offers a range of firewall solutions designed to secure various environments, including public cloud deployments. The Systems Engineer Professional - Software Firewall documentation specifies the following firewalls as suitable for public cloud environments:

CN-Series firewall (Option A): The CN-Series firewall is specifically designed for containerized environments and is deployable in public cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). It integrates with Kubernetes to secure container workloads in the cloud.

Cloud NGFW (Option C): Cloud NGFW is a cloud-native firewall service tailored for public cloud environments such as AWS and Azure. It provides advanced security features like application visibility, threat prevention, and scalability without requiring traditional hardware or virtual machine management.

VM-Series firewall (Option D): The VM-Series firewall is a virtualized next-generation firewall that can be deployed in public cloud environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) to protect workloads, applications, and data. It offers flexibility and scalability for virtualized and cloud-based infrastructures.

Options B (PA-Series firewall) and E (Cloud ION Blade firewall) are incorrect. The PA-Series firewalls are physical appliances designed for on-premises data centers and do not natively protect public cloud environments. The Cloud ION Blade firewall is not a recognized Palo Alto Networks product in this context, as it is not part of the software firewall portfolio for public clouds.


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Total 86 questions