A. Click the hyperlink for the Zero Access.Gen threat

Explanation:
When using the Application Command Center (ACC) to investigate Blocked User Activity and identify users potentially compromised by a botnet, the most effective method is to click the hyperlink for the Zero Access.Gen threat. This action sets a global filter that narrows down all related traffic, users, and sessions associated with that specific threat.
In the screenshot, ZeroAccess.Gen Command and Control Traffic is listed as a critical spyware threat with a botnet category and a high count. Clicking its hyperlink allows the administrator to:
Apply a global filter across the ACC
View all sessions, users, and source IPs tied to this threat
Drill down into logs and threat details for forensic analysis
This is the fastest and most precise way to isolate compromised users and take remediation steps.

❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
B.Click the left arrow beside the Zero Access.Gen threat This expands the row for more details but does not apply a global filter. It’s useful for viewing metadata but not for narrowing down user activity.

C. Click the source user with the highest threat count This shows user-specific data but does not isolate the botnet threat. It’s reactive and less targeted than filtering by threat.

🔗 Valid References:
Palo Alto Networks Knowledge Base: Tips & Tricks: How to Use the Application Command Center (ACC)
Exam4Training PCNSE Practice: Best Method to Set Global Filter in ACC

B. With ‘(port dst neq 53)’ Traffic log filter inside Device > log Settings.

Explanation:
The server team has identified a high volume of logs forwarded to their syslog server, with DNS traffic (using port 53) being the primary contributor. The risk and compliance team requires that Traffic logs indicating port abuse on port 53 (destination port 53) still be forwarded to syslog, while all other DNS Traffic logs should be excluded. In Palo Alto Networks firewalls, log forwarding to external servers like syslog is configured to filter specific log types and conditions. The correct approach is to use a Traffic log filter within the Device > Log Settings to exclude logs where the destination port is not 53 (i.e., non-port-53 DNS traffic), ensuring only relevant port 53 abuse logs are sent. The filter syntax (port dst neq 53) means "destination port not equal to 53," effectively excluding non-port-53 DNS logs while allowing port 53 logs to pass. The Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 11.1 Administrator’s Guide details that log filters in Device > Log Settings control which logs are forwarded, making option B correct.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
A. With (port,dst neq 53)’ Traffic log filter Object > Log Forwarding:
This is incorrect due to a syntax error (missing quotes and incorrect comma usage; should be (port dst neq 53)). Additionally, Objects > Log Forwarding defines where logs are sent (e.g., syslog server), not the filter conditions. The PCNSE Study Guide clarifies that filters are set in Device > Log Settings.
C. With ‘(app neq dns-base)’ Traffic log filter inside Device > Log Settings:
This is incorrect because excluding the dns-base application (which matches DNS traffic regardless of port) would remove all DNS-related logs, including those with port 53 abuse that the compliance team requires. The PAN-OS 11.1 Administrator’s Guide notes that app neq dns-base is too broad for this requirement.
D. With ‘(app neq dns-base)’ Traffic log filter inside Objects > Log Forwarding:
This is incorrect for two reasons: the app neq dns-base filter excludes all DNS logs (including port 53), violating the requirement, and Objects > Log Forwarding is for defining forwarding profiles, not applying filters. The PCNSE Study Guide confirms filters belong in Device > Log Settings.

Practical Steps:
Navigate to Device > Log Settings.
Select the Traffic log type.
Add a filter with the condition (port dst neq 53) to exclude non-port-53 DNS logs. Ensure the syslog server is configured under Objects > Log Forwarding and linked to the Traffic log settings.
Commit the configuration.
Verify via Monitor > Logs > Traffic that only port 53 logs are forwarded to syslog.

References:
Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 11.1 Administrator’s Guide: Details log filtering in Device > Log Settings.
Palo Alto Networks PCNSE Study Guide: Explains log forwarding configuration and filter syntax.

B. Create a custom application, define its properties, then create an application override and reference the custom application

Explanation:
When troubleshooting, sometimes you need to bypass App-ID and content inspection so that traffic is forwarded purely based on port/protocol without being altered or blocked by application signatures or content scanning.
The supported method in Palo Alto Networks firewalls is to use an Application Override Policy:
Create a custom application that represents the traffic (e.g., based on port and protocol).
Apply an Application Override Policy to match the specific traffic and map it to the custom app.
This tells the firewall to skip App-ID and content inspection for that traffic, allowing raw forwarding for troubleshooting.

❌ Why the other options are incorrect:
A. Create a custom application … ensure scanning options unchecked
Custom applications alone don’t bypass App-ID processing or content inspection. You still need the App Override policy for that.
C. Create a new security rule without Security Profiles
This only skips threat/content profiles (like AV, Anti-Spyware, URL filtering), but App-ID inspection still happens. Doesn’t fully bypass inspection. V D. Create a new security rule and disable Server Response Inspection
This only skips Server Response Inspection (SRI) for HTTP responses, not full App-ID or content inspection. Very limited.

📖 Reference:
Palo Alto Networks Docs – Application Override:
“An Application Override policy allows you to bypass App-ID and Content-ID inspection for specified traffic. The firewall assigns the traffic to a custom application and forwards it without further inspection.”

A. While troubleshooting

Explanation:
Logging at session start is best used during troubleshooting to gain immediate visibility into traffic as sessions begin. This setting allows the firewall to generate a log entry as soon as a session is initiated, which helps identify whether a rule is matching, what application is detected early, and whether traffic is being allowed or denied.

This is particularly useful when:
Diagnosing rule matching issues
Investigating long-lived sessions (e.g., SSH, RDP)
Monitoring traffic that may not terminate cleanly or quickly
However, enabling session start logging globally or permanently is not recommended. It increases log volume significantly and can place additional load on the management plane, especially in high-throughput environments. Palo Alto Networks recommends using “Log at Session End” for regular logging, as it provides complete session details including bytes transferred, duration, and final application identification.

❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
B. Only on Deny rules While logging deny actions is important, session start logging is not limited to deny rules. It’s more broadly useful for troubleshooting any rule behavior.
C.On all Allow rules Logging at session start on all allow rules is excessive and not a best practice. It can overwhelm log storage and reduce performance.
D. Only when log at session end is enabled Session start and session end logging are independent options. You can enable one or both depending on your visibility needs.

🔗 Valid References:
Palo Alto Networks Knowledge Base: Session Log Best Practices
Reddit Discussion: Log Size After Enabling Log at Session Start

B. A Master Device

1. Problem restatement
Engineer wants to use LDAP user groups in security rules (inside a Panorama Device Group).
For that, Panorama must know the mapping of users → groups.
Question: What must be configured so Panorama can retrieve user/group info?

2.Review the options
A. A service route to the LDAP server
Service routes define the source interface/IP for management-plane traffic (like LDAP queries, syslog, DNS, etc.).
Useful only if Panorama itself is talking to LDAP.
But Panorama does not retrieve group mappings directly — firewalls (User-ID) or Master Device handle it.

❌ Not the right answer.
B. A Master Device ✅ Correct.
In Panorama, if you want to use User-ID / group-based policies in a Device Group, you must designate a Master Device.
The Master Device is a firewall (in that Device Group) that retrieves group mapping from LDAP (via User-ID or User-ID agent).
Panorama then uses that device’s mappings to show groups for policy creation.
C. Authentication Portal ❌
Auth portal (Captive Portal) is for authenticating unknown users (BYOD, guest, etc.).
Doesn’t solve LDAP group lookup in Panorama.
D. A User-ID agent on the LDAP server ❌
You can run a User-ID agent on Windows or use the firewall’s built-in User-ID.
That’s how group mappings get retrieved.
But for Panorama Device Groups, you still need to configure a Master Device to pull those mappings.

📖 Reference
Palo Alto Networks Admin Guide – “To enable group-based policy in Panorama-managed firewalls, you must configure a Master Device. The Master Device provides the group mappings (retrieved from LDAP through User-ID) to Panorama so that you can reference user groups in policies.”

A. Management plane CPU

Explanation:
In a Palo Alto Networks firewall, different planes handle different responsibilities:

Dataplane (DP):
Handles traffic processing (App-ID, Content-ID, session handling, encryption, etc.).
Uses dedicated CPUs (network processors, security processors).
Optimized for packet flow, not log forwarding.

Management plane (MP):
Handles management tasks like GUI/CLI, configuration commits, and log processing & log forwarding.
Whenever logs need to be sent to Panorama, SIEM, or external log collectors, this is done by the management plane CPU.

Packet buffers:
Buffers used in the dataplane for temporary packet storage.
If overutilized, you see packet drops — but unrelated to log forwarding.

On-chip packet descriptors:
Hardware structures in the dataplane to describe packets in processing pipelines.
Again, related to traffic handling, not log forwarding.
👉 Therefore, the correct component responsible for log forwarding is the Management Plane CPU.
If the firewall is forwarding a large volume of logs to Panorama, you should monitor MP CPU utilization for early signs of overloading.

Reference:
Palo Alto Networks TechDocs: Firewall Architecture Overview
PAN KB: Which plane processes what?

C. Resources Widget on the Dashboard

Explanation:
To view CPU utilization for both the management plane and data plane on a Palo Alto Networks firewall, the administrator should use the Resources widget on the Dashboard. This widget provides real-time visibility into system performance metrics, including:

Management Plane CPU:
Reflects usage by system processes such as routing daemons, authentication services, and the web interface.
Data Plane CPU:
Indicates how much processing power is being used to handle traffic, session management, and packet forwarding.

This widget is accessible via:
Web UI > Dashboard > Widgets > Resources
It offers a quick and centralized view of system health, helping administrators identify performance bottlenecks, excessive load, or potential hardware issues.

❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
A. Support > Resources This section is used for support-related diagnostics and file generation, not for live CPU monitoring.
B. Application Command and Control Center (ACC) ACC provides visibility into traffic patterns, threats, and applications—not system resource usage.
D. Monitor > Utilization This tab shows interface and bandwidth statistics, not CPU metrics for management or data planes.

References:
Palo Alto Networks TechDocs:Dashboard Widgets Overview
LIVEcommunity Discussion: How Management CPU and Data Plane CPU Work Exam4Training PCNSE Practice: Where to View CPU Utilization