Sophos Certified Engineer Practice Exam

What is an essential step in configuring a firewall policy?

1. Defining rules for inbound and outbound traffic

2. Disabling all alerts

3. Using default settings only

4. Blocking all network traffic

The correct answer is: Defining rules for inbound and outbound traffic

Defining rules for inbound and outbound traffic is crucial for configuring a firewall policy because it establishes how the firewall should handle various types of network traffic. These rules allow you to specify which traffic is permitted or denied based on various criteria such as source and destination IP addresses, port numbers, and protocols. Properly configured rules help enforce security measures, ensuring that only authorized traffic is allowed to enter or exit the network, which is a key responsibility of any firewall. The other options do not contribute effectively to a well-rounded firewall policy. For instance, disabling all alerts would prevent the identification of potential security issues, which is counterproductive to maintaining network security. Relying solely on default settings might leave vulnerabilities, as these settings may not be tailored to the specific needs of the organization. Additionally, blocking all network traffic would render the network unusable, as legitimate business communications would also be obstructed.