Pass the Fortinet Network Security Expert NSE5_SSE_AD-7.6 Questions and answers with ExamsMirror

According to theSD-WAN 7.6 Core Administratorstudy guide and theFortinet Document Library, the interaction between SD-WAN rules and SLA targets is governed by specific selection and measurement logic:

Usage by Strategy (Option B): SLA targets are fundamentally used by theLowest Cost (SLA)strategy to determine which links are currently healthy enough to be considered for traffic steering. While other strategies likeBest Qualityuse a "Measured SLA" to monitor metrics, they do not typically use the "Required SLA Target" to disqualify links unless specifically configured in a hybrid mode. In most curriculum contexts, the "Required SLA Target" field is specifically associated with the Lowest Cost and Maximize Bandwidth strategies.

SLA Compliance Checking (Option D): SD-WAN rules utilize SLA targets as a "pass/fail" gatekeeper. The engine checks if thepreferred membersmeet the defined SLA requirements (latency, jitter, or packet loss thresholds). If a preferred member fails the SLA, the rule will move to the next member in the priority list that does meet the SLA.

Single SLA Binding (Option E): When configuring an SD-WAN rule, the GUI and CLI allow you to selectmultiple SLA targets, but they must all belong to thesame Performance SLAprofile. You cannot mix and match targets from different health checks (e.g., Target 1 from "Google_HC" and Target 2 from "Amazon_HC") within a single SD-WAN rule.

Why other options are incorrect:

Option A: This is incorrect because a single SD-WAN rule can only be associated with one specific Performance SLA profile at a time; therefore, you cannot select targets fromdifferentSLAs.

Option C: This is incorrect because member metrics (latency, jitter, packet loss) are measured by thePerformance SLAprobes regardless of whether an SD-WAN rule is currently using that SLA target for steering decisions. Measurement is a function of the health-check, not the rule matching process.

In theSD-WAN 7.6 Core Administratorcurriculum, the "Prefer Passive" probe mode is a hybrid monitoring strategy designed to minimize the overhead of synthetic traffic (probes) while maintaining link health visibility. According to theFortiOS 7.6 Administration Guideand theSD-WAN Study Guide, the behavior and impacts are as follows:

TCP Traffic Requirement (Option E):Passive monitoring relies on the FortiGate’s ability to inspect actual user traffic to calculate health metrics such as Latency, Jitter, and Packet Loss. Specifically, it usesTCP traffic(by analyzing TCP sequence numbers and timestamps to calculate Round Trip Time - RTT). If user traffic is flowing through the member interface, the FortiGate uses those real-world sessions for SLA calculations instead of sending its own probes.

Inability to Detect Dead Members (Option C):A significant limitation of passive monitoring is that it cannot distinguish between a "dead" link and an "idle" link. If there is no traffic, the passive monitor has no data to analyze. Consequently, while in passive mode, the SD-WAN enginecannot detect a dead member. To mitigate this, "Prefer Passive" includes a fail-safe: if no traffic is detected for a specific period (typically3 minutes), the FortiGate will automatically switch toActive mode(sending ICMP/TCP pings) to verify if the link is actually alive.

Why other options are incorrect:

Option A:Passive monitoring generallydisables hardware offloading (ASIC)for the monitored traffic. This is because the CPU must inspect every packet header to calculate performance metrics; if the traffic were offloaded to the Network Processor (NP), the CPU would not see the packets, rendering passive monitoring impossible.

Option B:While active probes often use ICMP,passive monitoringis specifically designed forTCP trafficbecause the TCP protocol's ACK structure allows for accurate RTT and loss calculation without synthetic packets.

Option D:The "3-minute" timer is actually the trigger to switchfrom passive to activewhen traffic is absent, not the fallback timer to return to passive. The fallback to passive happens as soon as valid TCP traffic is detected again.

According to theFortiSASE 7.6 Administration Guideand theFCP - FortiSASE 24/25 Administratorstudy materials, FortiSASE supports three primary external (remote) authentication sources to verify the identity of remote users (SIA and SPA users). These sources allow organizations to leverage their existing identity infrastructure for seamless onboarding and policy enforcement:

Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) (Option A):This is the most common and recommended method for modern SASE deployments. FortiSASE acts as aSAML Service Provider (SP)and integrates withIdentity Providers (IdP)such as Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), Okta, or FortiAuthenticator. This enables Single Sign-On (SSO) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) (Option C):FortiSASE can connect to on-premises or cloud-based LDAP servers (such as Windows Active Directory). This allows the administrator to map existing AD groups to FortiSASE user groups for granular security policy application.

Remote Authentication Dial-in User Service (RADIUS) (Option E):RADIUS is supported for organizations that use centralized authentication servers or traditional MFA solutions (like RSA SecurID). FortiSASE can query a RADIUS server to validate user credentials before granting access to the SASE tunnel.

Why other options are incorrect:

OpenID Connect (OIDC) (Option B):While OIDC is a modern authentication protocol similar to SAML, FortiSASE's primary integration for external Identity Providers is currently standardized onSAML 2.0.

TACACS+ (Option D):Terminal Access Controller Access-Control System Plus is primarily used foradministrative access(AAA) to network devices (like logging into a FortiGate CLI or FortiManager). It is not used for end-user VPN or SASE authentication in the Fortinet ecosystem.

According to theFortiSASE 7.6 Administration Guideand theFCP - FortiSASE 24/25 Administratorcurriculum, the Agentless deployment mode—commonly referred to asSecure Web Gateway (SWG)mode—is a vital component of the Secure Internet Access (SIA) framework.

Deployment Mechanism: In an agentless deployment, FortiSASE functions as an explicit web proxy. This is achieved by distributing aPAC (Proxy Auto-Configuration) fileto the user's browser, which instructs the device to send its web traffic to the nearest FortiSASE Point of Presence (PoP).

Target Use Case: This mode is specifically designed forunmanaged endpoints, such as those used bycontractors, partners, or temporary workers, where the organization does not have the authority or capability to install the FortiClient agent.

Security Capabilities: Even without an agent, FortiSASE applies afull security stackto the redirected traffic. This includesWeb Filtering,Anti-Malware,SSL Inspection, andInline-CASBto secure HTTP and HTTPS sessions.

Protocol Limitations: Because it relies on proxy settings, this mode is limited to web protocols (HTTP/HTTPS) and does not inherently secure non-web traffic like ICMP, DNS, or custom TCP/UDP applications unless they are specifically proxied.

Why other options are incorrect:

Option A: While it provides secure browsing, session isolation (RBI) is a specific feature that can be used in either mode; the defining characteristic of the agentless use case is the proxy-based redirection for unmanaged devices.

Option C: A PAC file can only secure web traffic (protocols that support proxying), not non-web traffic protocols.

Option D: Agentless mode is the opposite of requiring FortiClient; ZTNA tags generally require the FortiClient agent to provide the necessary telemetry for tag evaluation.

According to theSD-WAN 7.6 Core Administratorstudy guide and theFortiOS 7.6 Administration Guide, when you are migrating a production FortiGate to use SD-WAN, the most critical step involves reconfiguring how traffic is permitted and routed.

Reference Removal Requirement: Before an interface (such as wan1 or wan2) can be added as anSD-WAN member, it must be "unreferenced" in most parts of the FortiGate configuration. Specifically, if an interface is currently being used in an activeFirewall Policy, the system will prevent you from adding it to the SD-WAN bundle.

Firewall Policy Migration (Option A): In a production environment, you mustreplace the references to the physical interfacesin your firewall policies with the newSD-WAN virtual interface(or an SD-WAN Zone). For example, if your previous policy allowed traffic from internal to wan1, you must update that policy so theOutgoing Interfaceis now SD-WAN. This allows the SD-WAN engine to take over the traffic and apply its steering rules.

Modern Tools: While this used to be a purely manual process, FortiOS 7.x includes anInterface Migration Wizard(found underNetwork > Interfaces). This tool automates the "search and replace" function, moving all existing policy and routing references from the physical port to the SD-WAN object to ensure minimal downtime.

Why other options are incorrect:

Option B: While you do need to update your routing (e.g., creating a static route for 0.0.0.0/0 pointing to the SD-WAN interface), the curriculum specifically emphasizes the replacement of references infirewall policiesas the primary administrative hurdle, as policies are often more numerous and complex than the single static route required for SD-WAN.

Option C: You donotneed to disable the interface. It must be up and configured, just removed from other configuration references so it can be "absorbed" into the SD-WAN bundle.

Option D: SD-WAN is abase featureof FortiOS and doesnot require a separate licenseor a reboot to enable.

According to theSD-WAN 7.6 Core Administratorstudy guide and theFortinet Document Library, FortiOS maintains strict referential integrity for SD-WAN objects. An SD-WAN member interface cannot be deleted or removed from the configuration if it is still being "used" or referenced by other features.

Reference Locking: In the FortiOS GUI, the "Delete" button for an SD-WAN member is typically grayed out or an error message appears if the interface is part of an active service or monitoring tool.

Performance SLA Dependency: Performance SLAs (health checks) monitor specific member interfaces. If an interface is a participant in an SLA, it is considered "active" by the system. Therefore, a critical first step in the decommissioning process is toremove the member from all Performance SLA definitions. Once the health check is no longer polling that interface, one major reference lock is released.

Other Dependencies: While firewall policies and SD-WAN rules (service rules) also create references, the question specifies the member is "no longer used to steer traffic," implying it may have already been removed from steering rules. However, Performance SLAs often remain active in the background, making their removal the essential next step to permit the deletion of the member itself.

Why other options are incorrect:

Option A: Moving a member between zones doesn't help you delete it; it just changes its logical grouping. It still remains an active SD-WAN member.

Option B: Disabling the physical interface does not remove the configuration references within the SD-WAN engine. The FortiGate will simply report the member as "Down," but it will still exist in the configuration as a member.

Option D: In modern SD-WAN deployments, static routes usually point to theSD-WAN Zone(like virtual-wan-link) rather than individual physical interfaces. Therefore, you don't typically need to delete the static route to remove a single member from the zone.

According to theSD-WAN 7.6 Core Administratorstudy guide and theFortiOS 7.6 Administration Guide, the selection process for theBest Quality (priority)strategy depends on two primary factors: the measured link quality metric and the configured member priority order.

Based on the provided exhibit (image_b40dfc.png), we can determine the following:

Strategy and Metric: The rule is in Mode(priority) (Best Quality) using link-cost-factor(packet loss).

Strict Comparison: The link-cost-threshold is set to0. This means there is no "advantage" given to the current preferred link; the FortiGate performs a strict comparison where the link with the objectively best metric is chosen.

Tie-Breaker Logic: When multiple links have thesamepacket loss, the FortiGate uses theMember Priority Orderdefined in the rule (set priority-members 6 4 5) as the tie-breaker.

Member 6 (HUB1-VPN3)is the highest priority.

Member 4 (HUB1-VPN1)is the second priority.

Member 5 (HUB1-VPN2)is the lowest priority.

Current State: HUB1-VPN1 is currently selected because its packet loss (2.000%) is lower than HUB1-VPN2 (4.000%) and HUB1-VPN3 (12.000%). Even though HUB1-VPN3 has a higher configuration priority, its significantly higher packet loss prevents it from being chosen.

Evaluation of Options:

Option A (Verified): If all three members have thesame packet loss(e.g., they all show 2%), the quality metrics are equal. The SD-WAN engine then refers to the priority-members list. Since HUB1-VPN3 (Seq 6) is the first member in that list, it will immediately become the new preferred member.

Option B: If HUB1-VPN1 reaches 4%, it matches HUB1-VPN2 (4%). HUB1-VPN3 remains at 12%. The system will choose between VPN1 and VPN2. Since VPN1 (Seq 4) is higher in the priority list than VPN2 (Seq 5), HUB1-VPN1 stays preferred.

Option C: If HUB1-VPN1 reaches 12%, it matches HUB1-VPN3. However, HUB1-VPN2 is still better at4.000%. Therefore, HUB1-VPN2 would become the new preferred member, not HUB1-VPN3.

Option D: If HUB1-VPN3 drops to 4%, it matches HUB1-VPN2. However, HUB1-VPN1 is still the best link at2.000%, so it remains selected.

For customers with hybrid environments (on-premises SD-WAN branches and remote FortiSASE users), theFortiOS 7.6andFortiSASEcurriculum recommends centralized log aggregation for unified visibility.

Centralized Reporting:The standard architectural best practice is toforward logs from FortiSASE to an external FortiAnalyzer (Option C).

Unified View:Since the customer's on-premises FortiGate SD-WAN branches are already sending logs to an existing FortiAnalyzer, adding the FortiSASE log stream to that sameFortiAnalyzerallows for the creation ofcombined reports.

Fabric Integration:This setup leverages theSecurity Fabric, enabling the FortiAnalyzer to provide a single pane of glass for monitoring security events, application usage, and SD-WAN performance metrics across the entire distributed network.

Why other options are incorrect:

Option A:SOCaaSis a managed service for threat monitoring, not a primary tool for an administrator to generate combined SD-WAN/SASE operational reports.

Option B:FortiSASE is not designed to act as a log collector or reporting hub for external on-premises FortiGates.

Option D:Data flows from the source (FortiSASE) to the collector (FortiAnalyzer), not the other way around.

According to theSD-WAN 7.6 Core Administratorcurriculum and theFortiOS 7.6 Administration Guide, setting common web-based services like Facebook and LinkedIn as destinations in an SD-WAN rule is primarily accomplished through theInternet Service Database (ISDB).

Internet Service vs. Application Control: In FortiOS, there is a distinction betweenInternet Services(which use a database of known IP addresses and ports to identify traffic at the first packet) andApplications(which require the IPS engine to inspect deeper into the packet flow to identify Layer 7 signatures).

SD-WAN Efficiency: Fortinet recommends using theInternet service fieldfor services like Facebook and LinkedIn in SD-WAN rules because it allows the FortiGate to steer the traffic immediately upon the first packet. If the "Application" signatures were used instead, the first session might be misrouted because the application is not identified until after the initial handshake.

GUI Configuration: As shown in the exhibit (image_b3a4c2.png), the "Destination" section of an SD-WAN rule includes anInternet servicefield by default. To steer Facebook and LinkedIn traffic, the administrator simply clicks the "+" icon in that field and selects the entries for Facebook and LinkedIn from the database.

Feature Visibility (Alternative): While youcanenable a specific "Application" field inSystem > Feature Visibility(by enabling "Application Detection Based SD-WAN"), this is typically used for less common applications that do not have dedicated ISDB entries. For the specific "applications" mentioned (Facebook and LinkedIn), they are natively available in theInternet servicefield, making Option B the most direct and common implementation.

Why other options are incorrect:

Option A: Licensing for application signatures is part of the standard FortiGuard services and is not a prerequisite specific only to "applications as destinations" in SD-WAN rules.

Option C: Standalone FortiGate devices fully support application-based and ISDB-based steering in SD-WAN rules.

Option D: While enabling feature visibility would add anadditionalfield for L7 applications, it is not a "must" for Facebook and LinkedIn, which are already accessible via the Internet Service field provided in the default GUI layout.

According to theFortiSASE 7.6 Administration Guideand theFCP - FortiSASE 24/25training materials, FortiSASE leverages a cloud-native FortiAnalyzer instance to provide specialized reports. These reports are designed to give administrators visibility into remote user behavior, endpoint health, and cloud application usage.

The three valid and standard report types available directly within the FortiSASE portal are:

Web Usage Summary Report (Option A):This report provides a high-level overview of web activity across the SASE deployment. It categorizes traffic by website categories (e.g., Social Media, Streaming, Malicious Sites), top users by bandwidth, and blocked requests, helping IT teams understand how internet resources are being consumed by remote workers.

Vulnerability Assessment Report (Option C):Since FortiSASE integrates with FortiClient and an embedded EMS, it can aggregate vulnerability scan data from managed endpoints. This report lists software vulnerabilities found on user devices (OS-level and application-level), providing a "Security Rating" or posture assessment that is critical for Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) enforcement.

Shadow IT Report (Option D):Leveraging the built-inCASB (Cloud Access Security Broker)capabilities, this report identifies "unsanctioned" or "risky" SaaS applications being used by employees. It helps organizations discover hidden security risks by cataloging cloud applications that have not been explicitly approved by the IT department.

Why other options are incorrect:

Endpoint Compliance Deviation Report (Option B):While FortiSASE performs compliance checks via ZTNA tags, this specific name is not a standard "Report Type" template in the portal; compliance is typically monitored via theEndpoint ManagementorZTNA Dashboards.

Cyber Threat Assessment (Option E):TheCyber Threat Assessment Program (CTAP)is a specific Fortinet sales and auditing tool used to generate a one-time report on a network's security posture (often used for FortiGate evaluations). It is not a native, recurring report type within the day-to-day FortiSASE administration interface.