Q38. An organization wants to reduce attack surface by allowing only sanctioned applications while blocking unknown traffic. What is the BEST approach?

Q39. A global organization is modernizing its data center and private cloud infrastructure. The environment consists of:
– A Nutanix AHV cluster hosting critical east-west application workloads
– A VMware ESXi cluster with multi-socket hosts, supporting high-throughput workloads (>10 Gbps)
– A new pair of PA-5450 firewalls to secure the perimeter and handle encrypted traffic inspection at scale
– Strict performance service-level agreements (SLAs) for both north-south and east-west flows, with heavy reliance on TLS 1.3 and IPSec
– A Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) environment on KVM to provide high-performance security services to maximize packet throughput and minimize latency The chief architect is tasked with ensuring that the firewall design avoids hypervisor contention optimizes non-uniform memory access (NUMA) and uses hardware features for encrypted traffic.
VM-Series on Nutanix AHV – Resource Allocation
– Because the Nutanix cluster is already heavily used, the architect’s main concern is preventing performance degradation of the virtual firewall. Thin provisioning or ballooning could introduce latency and unpredictability which is unacceptable for a security-sensitive workload.
VM-Series on VMware ESXi – NUMA and vCPU Placement
– In the VMware ESXi environment, the architect is deploying VM-Series for workloads pushing >10 Gbps. Assigning vCPUs across NUMA nodes or oversubscribing cores would create latency due to cross-socket memory access and scheduling delays. Similarly, dedicating logical hypethreads does not provide the deterministic data plane performance required.
Operational Integration and High Availability
– With performance guaranteed by correct hypervisor and hardware provisioning, the architect also considers high availability (HA). VM-Series pairs are deployed in active/passive HA across Nutanix and VMware clusters, while PA-5450s form the data center’s north-south secure perimeter deployment. This ensures resilience without introducing unnecessary east-west inspection bottlenecks.
– The recommendation must be a scalable, high-performance firewall deployment aligned with enterprise SLAs and the CISO’s encrypted traffic concerns.
To optimize throughput and minimize latency, what is recommended to configure the vCPUs and NUMA for this deployment?

Q40. An organization wants to modernize its legacy branch architecture. The existing architecture is rigid, complex, and ill-suited for a cloud-first strategy, creating high operational costs and latency.
– The four core data centers are strategically located in Dallas, Toronto, London and Tokyo, and they are interconnected by a dedicated MPLS backbone providing reliable connectivity but incurring significant costs and offering limited bandwidth scalability.
– Branches rely on MPLS or site-to-site VPN to connect to the nearest geographical data center.
– All internet-bound traffic from the branches is backhauled to the data center egress firewalls.
This creates latency for SaaS applications and increases bandwidth strain on the MPLS links.
What is the primary security posture enhancement that can be achieved in this use case by offloading data center backhaul to a PAN-OS SD-WAN model with local internet breakout for SaaS traffic?

Q41. A global organization is modernizing its data center and private cloud infrastructure. The environment consists of:
– A Nutanix AHV cluster hosting critical east-west application workloads
– A VMware ESXi cluster with multi-socket hosts, supporting high-throughput workloads (>10 Gbps)
– A new pair of PA-5450 firewalls to secure the perimeter and handle encrypted traffic inspection at scale
– Strict performance service-level agreements (SLAs) for both north-south and east-west flows, with heavy reliance on TLS 1.3 and IPSec
– A Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) environment on KVM to provide high-performance security services to maximize packet throughput and minimize latency The chief architect is tasked with ensuring that the firewall design avoids hypervisor contention optimizes non-uniform memory access (NUMA) and uses hardware features for encrypted traffic.
VM-Series on Nutanix AHV – Resource Allocation
– Because the Nutanix cluster is already heavily used, the architect’s main concern is preventing performance degradation of the virtual firewall. Thin provisioning or ballooning could introduce latency and unpredictability which is unacceptable for a security-sensitive workload.
VM-Series on VMware ESXi – NUMA and vCPU Placement
– In the VMware ESXi environment, the architect is deploying VM-Series for workloads pushing >10 Gbps. Assigning vCPUs across NUMA nodes or oversubscribing cores would create latency due to cross-socket memory access and scheduling delays. Similarly, dedicating logical hypethreads does not provide the deterministic data plane performance required.
Operational Integration and High Availability
– With performance guaranteed by correct hypervisor and hardware provisioning, the architect also considers high availability (HA). VM-Series pairs are deployed in active/passive HA across Nutanix and VMware clusters, while PA-5450s form the data center’s north-south secure perimeter deployment. This ensures resilience without introducing unnecessary east-west inspection bottlenecks.
– The recommendation must be a scalable, high-performance firewall deployment aligned with enterprise SLAs and the CISO’s encrypted traffic concerns.
While using the VM-Series to build the NFV environment, which configuration should the architect use?

Q42. A company needs DNS-based threat protection to block malicious domains. Which solution is appropriate?

Q43. An architect is reviewing a use case with the following requirements:
– Visibility on the health of an end user’s path for the five most
critical applications
– Metrics on the impact of endpoint health for application
– Centralized call quality analytics from Zoom video conferencing
solution
– Insights into the supporting protocols, such as DNS
– Support 600 users on Windows desktops in a single sales office
Which solution should be recommended to meet these requirements?

Q44. A company wants automated response to detected threats. What should they implement?

Q45. An organization wants to detect and prevent unknown malware. Which Palo Alto feature should be implemented?

Q46. A global organization is in the process of securing critical applications during a cloud-based migration while migrating to a cloud-first design, and it is currently performing a brownfield migration of its most critical applications – such as CRM and product intellectual property / design systems – into Azure Cloud. The organization already has an active/passive high availability (HA) NGFW deployed at its data center with multiple zones and has replicated that design into its existing Azure HA deployment.
The organization recognizes the need to modernize its security posture as critical workloads move out of the data center and users connect from anywhere. Its security model is defined by a traditional “hard shell, soft center” approach:
Zero Trust Gaps
– Current network segmentation is perimeter-based. The organization wants to expand Zero Trust principles across cloud and on-premises environments.
– The network relies heavily on VLANs and IP address-based Access Control Lists (ACLs) segmented primarily by office location and broad departmental groups.
– Once employees are on the corporate network (i.e., inside the “perimeter”), they have relatively wide access.
– If attackers compromise a single endpoint (e.g., via a phishing email), they can easily move laterally and scan for high-value targets.
Cloud Blind Spots
– The organization uses Azure for its production environments and hosts applications that contain sensitive customer data.
– Security controls in the cloud are often managed independently of the on-premises network.
Access is frequently granted with overly permissive identity and access management (IAM) roles and keys based on the resource rather than the user’s real-time context or application health.
Remote User Access
– Many remote users are still hairpinning into the corporate data center just to reach internet or SaaS resources, creating latency and inefficiency.
– Traditional VPN is used for remote employees.
– The VPN grants access to the entire internal network segment making the remote endpoint the new, weaker perimeter. There is no continuous check on the user’s device health after the initial connection.
Visibility and Logging
– Logs are primarily stored on-premises, then forwarded to a local Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution. As applications move to Azure, visibility into cloud traffic and user behavior becomes fragmented.
Data Security Concern
– Sensitive data, including product design files, will now live in SaaS and cloud environments. The organization needs data security to prevent leakage and enforce compliance.
Ingress Security
– Third-party partners and suppliers require access into the data center and cloud applications, introducing risk at ingress points.
The organization needs to ensure data security and prevent the leakage of sensitive product design files since it is migrating to SaaS and cloud environments.
How would implementing a Next-Generation CASB (CASB-X) capability address the concerns in the scenario?

Q47. A global manufacturing organization has a strategic plan for rapid growth through mergers and acquisitions Several components the organization has purchased are deemed large deployments with existing IP address schemas and allocations that conflict with the parent organization. The manufacturing organization needs access to the resources before a re-IP initiative can be completed.
All of the deployments include a variety of IoT devices Leadership requires protection of vulnerable assets and identification of any known CVEs associated with the IoT devices. The governance, risk and compliance (GRC) team requires comprehensive non-repudiable logs to identify all IoT devices reporting “Critical (9 0+) CVE scores” for mandatory remediation.
Throughput needs to exceed the current 1 Gbps trending rate, and with expected growth will soon scale to 5 Gbps.
Segmentation is a mandatory requirement with enclaves based on region, device type, and function.
In which two ways should the organization architect for isolation of IoT with groupings based on the device types? (Choose two.)

Q48. An organization is in the process of building a network infrastructure that is cloud first. Part of the revised architecture includes Prisma Access as demonstrated in the diagram below. The organization has selected Strata Cloud Manager (SCM) as the management method for Prisma Access and NGFWs deployed at the data center and in public cloud environments. There are 150 NGFWs in place that are used to terminate service connections and segment networks as well as to secure the data center and public cloud resources.

One of the resilience requirements is to provide highly available directory services and authentication for the NGFW and Prisma Access deployment.
Which traffic flow is valid for administrators connecting network equipment over SSH hosted in the data center?

Q49. You must ensure high availability for critical firewall deployments. What configuration should you implement?

Q50. A multinational organization has a large worldwide remote user base. This user base consists of several persona types with distinct requirements and concerns regarding the adoption of a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution.
– Developers have a requirement to temporarily bypass security controls for business purposes, but the security team sees this as a potential risk. The developers commonly access development servers onsite in private data centers and public cloud. These development applications use web (HTTP/HTTPS), API, RPC, and SMB-based applications.
– Sales staff travel regularly and connect to the network via many different types of connections, but they are generally limited to SaaS-based web applications. They often complain about performance when any agent is installed and want the ability to temporarily disable these agents.
Data exfiltration and insider risk have been identified as the primary threats for this class of user.
– Executives have concerns about being high-value targets. Security must be consistent across the multiple endpoint types, including mobile and desktop devices. The executive team members have indicated that their primary objective is to ensure that the solution is responsive and easy to troubleshoot.
Which two parameters should the architect take into account regarding GlobalProtect gateway selection? (Choose two.)

Q51. A technology company is deploying its own AI applications on a Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) cluster. The development team is concerned about protecting the complex, microservices- based AI stack from both internal and external threats: such as data poisoning and lateral movement between containerized components. Which solution should be proposed to address these concerns?

Q52. An organization has selected Prisma SD-WAN ION devices for use at branch offices and is working to build a low-level design for its sites. A typical branch site has a 10 Mbps MPLS with fiber LC-SR, and an RJ-45 Ethernet 50 Mbps DIA internet circuit.
There are 75 workstations and a stacked core switch that supports LACP, M-LAG, BGP, and OSPF will be used. The core switch is the default gateway for all local VLANs. The final design will determine the selection of the appropriate model and accessories for the site.
Which statement applies to the Prisma SD-WAN architecture in this use case?

Q53. A multinational organization has a large worldwide remote user base. This user base consists of several persona types with distinct requirements and concerns regarding the adoption of a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution.
– Developers have a requirement to temporarily bypass security controls for business purposes, but the security team sees this as a potential risk. The developers commonly access development servers onsite in private data centers and public cloud. These development applications use web (HTTP/HTTPS), API, RPC, and SMB-based applications.
– Sales staff travel regularly and connect to the network via many different types of connections, but they are generally limited to SaaS-based web applications. They often complain about performance when any agent is installed and want the ability to temporarily disable these agents.
Data exfiltration and insider risk have been identified as the primary threats for this class of user.
– Executives have concerns about being high-value targets. Security must be consistent across the multiple endpoint types, including mobile and desktop devices. The executive team members have indicated that their primary objective is to ensure that the solution is responsive and easy to troubleshoot.
Which solution should be suggested to mitigate the security risk and meet the concerns of the sales team?

Q54. An organization wants to migrate to an SSE model using Prisma Access for hybrid workforce connectivity. Following bandwidth analysis, network engineers have identified high-bandwidth requirements (>2 Gbps) sustained throughput to the data center for privately hosted applications (e.g., three tier applications active FTP and SMB file servers, EDR toolsets).
Business continuity for the organization requires the ability to use multiple cloud providers for private-application connectivity, ensuring no single cloud provider outage can disrupt operations.
The network operations team has expressed concerns about migrating to SSE with legacy routing technical debt noting multiple redistribution protocols in place across the environment.
Which two network connectivity methods will meet the business requirements to access private applications from Prisma Access? (Choose two.)

Q55. An organization is in the process of building a network infrastructure that is cloud first. Part of the revised architecture includes Prisma Access as demonstrated in the diagram below. The organization has selected Strata Cloud Manager (SCM) as the management method for Prisma Access and NGFWs deployed at the data center and in public cloud environments. There are 150 NGFWs in place that are used to terminate service connections and segment networks as well as to secure the data center and public cloud resources.

One of the resilience requirements is to provide highly available directory services and authentication for the NGFW and Prisma Access deployment.
Which two configurations meet the design and customer requirements in this scenario? (Choose two.)

Q56. Which custom component can mitigate the risk associated with an organization’s sales staff filling out a customer intake PDF form that contains corporate confidential information?

Q57. A global manufacturing organization has a strategic plan for rapid growth through mergers and acquisitions Several components the organization has purchased are deemed large deployments with existing IP address schemas and allocations that conflict with the parent organization. The manufacturing organization needs access to the resources before a re-IP initiative can be completed.
All of the deployments include a variety of IoT devices Leadership requires protection of vulnerable assets and identification of any known CVEs associated with the IoT devices. The governance, risk and compliance (GRC) team requires comprehensive non-repudiable logs to identify all IoT devices reporting “Critical (9 0+) CVE scores” for mandatory remediation.
Throughput needs to exceed the current 1 Gbps trending rate, and with expected growth will soon scale to 5 Gbps.
Segmentation is a mandatory requirement with enclaves based on region, device type, and function.
Which architectural component ensures the IoT storage, integrity, and non-repudiation of this granular risk data for auditing purposes?

Q58. You need to ensure consistent threat prevention across all applications. Which approach should you use?