Paloalto Networks PSE-Strata-Pro-24 Questions Answers

When adopting additional security features over time, remaining aligned with Zero Trust principles requires a focus on constant visibility, control, and adherence to best practices. The following actions are the most relevant:

Why "Apply decryption where possible to inspect and log all new and existing traffic flows" (Correct Answer B)?Zero Trust principles emphasize visibility into all traffic, whether encrypted or unencrypted. Without decryption, encrypted traffic becomes a blind spot, which attackers can exploit. By applying decryption wherever feasible, organizations ensure they can inspect, log, and enforce policies on encrypted traffic, thus adhering to Zero Trust principles.

Why "Use the Best Practice Assessment (BPA) tool to measure progress toward Zero Trust principles" (Correct Answer C)?The BPA tool provides detailed insights into the customer’s security configuration, helping measure alignment with Palo Alto Networks’ Zero Trust best practices. It identifies gaps in security posture and recommends actionable steps to strengthen adherence to Zero Trust principles over time.

Why not "Turn on all licensed Cloud-Delivered Security Services (CDSS) subscriptions in blocking mode for all policies" (Option A)?While enabling CDSS subscriptions (like Threat Prevention, URL Filtering, Advanced Threat Prevention) in blocking mode can enhance security, it is not an action specifically tied to maintaining alignment with Zero Trust principles. A more holistic approach, such as decryption and BPA analysis, is critical to achieving Zero Trust.

Why not "Use the Policy Optimizer tool to understand security rules allowing users to bypass decryption" (Option D)?Policy Optimizer is used to optimize existing security rules by identifying unused or overly permissive policies. While useful, it does not directly address alignment with Zero Trust principles or help enforce decryption.

Single Pass Architecture (Answer C):

Palo Alto Networks firewalls useSingle Pass Architecture, meaning the firewall processes traffic once for all enabled security services.

This avoids duplicating inspection processes for multiple services like Threat Prevention, URL Filtering, and WildFire.

With a single traffic inspection pass, the firewall applies all security policies without degrading performance, even as additional CDSS subscriptions are enabled.

Management Data Plane Separation (Answer D):

TheManagement PlaneandData Planeare separated on Palo Alto Networks firewalls.

TheManagement Planehandles configuration, logging, and other administrative tasks, while theData Planefocuses solely on processing and forwarding traffic.

This architectural design ensures that enabling additional Cloud-Delivered Security Services does not impact throughput or compromise traffic handling efficiency.

Why Not Parallel Processing (Answer A):

While Parallel Processing is beneficial, it is not the main factor in maintaining consistent throughput as more services are enabled. TheSingle Pass Architectureis the key innovation here.

Why Not Advanced Routing Engine (Answer B):

The Advanced Routing Engine is not directly related to maintaining throughputwhen enabling CDSS subscriptions. It is more applicable to routing protocols and traffic engineering.

References from Palo Alto Networks Documentation:

Single Pass Architecture White Paper

Management and Data Plane Overview

Segregating a network into unique BGP environments requires the ability to configure separateeBGP autonomous systems(AS) within the NGFW. Palo Alto Networks firewalls support advanced BGP features, including the ability to create and manage multiple autonomous systems.

Why "It can be addressed by creating multiple eBGP autonomous systems" (Correct Answer B)?PAN-OS supports the configuration of multiple eBGP AS environments. By creating unique eBGP AS numbers for different parts of the network, traffic can be segregated and routed separately. This feature is commonly used in multi-tenant environments or networks requiring logical separation for administrative or policy reasons.

Each eBGP AS can maintain its own routing policies, neighbors, and traffic segmentation.

This approach allows the NGFW to address the customer’s need for segregated internal BGP environments.

Why not "It cannot be addressed because PAN-OS does not support it" (Option A)?This statement is incorrect because PAN-OS fully supports BGP, including eBGP, iBGP, and features like route reflectors, confederations, and autonomous systems.

Why not "It can be addressed with BGP confederations" (Option C)?While BGP confederations can logically group AS numbers within a single AS, they are generally used to simplify iBGP designs in very large-scale networks. They are not commonly used for segregating internal environments and are not required for the described use case.

Why not "It cannot be addressed because BGP must be fully meshed internally to work" (Option D)?Full mesh iBGP is only required in environments without route reflectors. The described scenario does not mention the need for iBGP full mesh; instead, it focuses on segregated environments, which can be achieved with eBGP.

Palo Alto Networks' PAN-OS supports API keys for authentication when interacting with the firewall’s RESTful and XML-based APIs. By default, API keys do not have an expiration time set, but the expiration time for API keys can be configured by an administrator to meet specific requirements, such as a time-based deactivation after two hours. This is particularly useful for compliance and security purposes, where API keys should not remain active indefinitely.

Here’s an evaluation of the options:

Option A:This is incorrect because the default setting for API keys does not include an expiration time. By default, API keys are valid indefinitely unless explicitly configured otherwise.

Option B:This is incorrect because PAN-OS fully supports API keys. The API keys are integral to managing access to the firewall's APIs and provide a secure method for authentication.

Option C:This is incorrect because PAN-OS does support API key expiration when explicitly configured. While the default is "no expiration," the feature to configure an expiration time (e.g., 2 hours) is available.

Option D (Correct):The correct response to the RFP clause is that the default API key settings need to be modified to set the expiration time to 120 minutes (2 hours). This aligns with the customer requirement to enforce API key deactivation based on time. Administrators can configure this using the PAN-OS management interface or the CLI.

How to Configure API Key Expiration (Steps):

Access theWeb InterfaceorCLIon the firewall.

Navigate toDevice > Management > API Key Lifetime Settings(on the GUI).

Set the desired expiration time (e.g., 120 minutes).

Alternatively, use the CLI to configure the API key expiration:

set deviceconfig system api-key-expiry

commit

Verify the configuration using the show command or by testing API calls to ensure the key expires after the set duration.

References:

Palo Alto Networks API Documentation:

Configuration Guide: Managing API Key Expiration