NSE5_FNC_AD_7.6 Exam Dumps - Fortinet Network Security Expert Questions and Answers

The process of moving a host from aRegistration VLANto aProduction VLAN(Access VLAN) is a fundamental part of the FortiNAC-F "VLAN steering" workflow. When a host successfully registers via the captive portal, FortiNAC-F evaluates its Network Access Policies to determine the correct VLAN. If the host remains stuck in the Registration VLAN despite a successful registration, it is typically due to port-level restrictions or the presence of other unregistered devices.

The two most common reasons for this behavior as per the documentation are:

The port default VLAN is the same as the Registration VLAN:If the "Default VLAN" field in the switch port's model configuration is set to the same ID as the Registration VLAN, the port will not change state because FortiNAC-F believes it is already in its "normal" or "forced" state.

There is another unregistered host on the same port:FortiNAC-F maintains the security posture of the physical port. If multiple hosts are connected to a single port (e.g., via a hub or unmanaged switch) and at least one host remains "Rogue" (unregistered), FortiNAC-F will generally keep the entire port in the isolation/registration VLAN to prevent the unregistered host from gaining unauthorized access to the production network.

Issues with agents (A, B) typically prevent a host from completing compliance or registration but do not usually result in a "stuck" statusafterregistration has already been marked as successful in the system.

"If a port is identified as havingMultiple Hosts, and those hosts require different levels of access, FortiNAC remains in the most restrictive state (Registration or Isolation) until all hosts on that port are authorized... Additionally, verify theDefault VLANsetting for the port; if the Default VLAN and Registration VLAN match, the system will not trigger a VLAN change upon registration." —FortiNAC-F Administration Guide: Troubleshooting Host Management.

Questions no:9

Verified Answer: B

Comprehensive and Detailed 250 to 300 words each Explanation with Exact Matched Extract from FortiNAC-F Administrator library and documentation for current versions (including F 7.2, 7.4, and 7.6) documents:

In FortiNAC-F, the integration with FortiGate for Security Fabric and Single Sign-On (FSSO) allows the system to communicate the access level of an endpoint directly to the firewall usingfirewall tags. This eliminates the need for complex VLAN steering in some environments by allowing the FortiGate to apply policies based on these dynamic tags instead of just a physical or virtual network segment.

The actual assignment of the firewall tag value occurs within aLogical Network. In the FortiNAC-F architectural model, a Logical Network acts as a container for "Access Values". When an administrator configures a Logical Network (located underNetwork > Logical Networks), they define what that network represents—such as "Corporate Access" or "Contractor Limited". Within that definition, they assign the specificFirewall Tagthat matches the tag created on the FortiGate. Once a user or host matches aNetwork Access Policy, FortiNAC-F identifies the associated Logical Network and pushes the defined tag to the FortiGate via the FSSO connector.

It is important to note that whileNetwork Access Policies(and by extensionSecurity Rules) are the logic engines thattriggerthe assignment, they do not hold the tag value itself. They simply point to a Logical Network, which serves as the central repository for that specific access configuration.

"To assign firewall tags, navigate toNetwork > Logical Networks. Select the desired logical network and clickEdit. Under theAccess Valuesection, selectFirewall Tagas the type and enter the tag name exactly as it appears on the FortiGate. When a Network Access Policy matches a host, FortiNAC sends this tag to the FortiGate as an FSSO message." —FortiNAC-F Administration Guide: Logical Networks and Security Fabric Integration.

In FortiNAC-F, theDevice Profileris a rule-based engine that evaluates unknown "rogue" devices and classifies them based on fingerprints and behavior. When a profiling rule matches a device, the administrator can configure the rule to automatically register that device. The registration process can place the device record in two primary locations: theTopology View(as a device) or theHost View(as a registered host).

According to theFortiNAC-F Administration Guide, registering a device in theHost Viewprovides significant advantages for identity management and historical tracking. First, the devices can beassociated with a user (C). In the FortiNAC database architecture, the Host View is the primary repository for endpoint identity; placing a profiled device here allows the system to link that hardware (MAC address) to a specific user account, whether that user is an employee, guest, or a system-level "owner". This association is essential for Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and for tracking accountability across the network fabric.

Second, devices registered in the Host View will haveconnection logs (B). FortiNAC-F maintains a detailed operational history for all host records, including every instance of the device connecting to or disconnecting from a port, its IP address assignments, and the specific policies applied during each session. These logs are invaluable for troubleshooting connectivity issues and for security forensic audits, as they provide a clear timeline of the device's lifecycle on the network. In contrast, devices managed only in the Topology View are typically treated as infrastructure components where the focus is on device availability rather than individual session history.

"Devices that are registered and associated with a user are placed in theHost Viewand removed from the Profiled Devices window... Placing a device in the Host View allows for the tracking ofconnection historyand the association of the device with a specificidentity or user recordwithin the FortiNAC database." —FortiNAC-F Administration Guide: Device Profiler How it Works.

In FortiNAC-F, theConference Manageris a specialized administrative role designed for delegated administration, often used by receptionists or event organizers to create temporary guest accounts. To maintain security and prevent the over-provisioning of credentials, FortiNAC-F allows for granular restrictions on these accounts.

According to theFortiNAC-F Administration GuideregardingAdministrative Profiles, when an administrator creates a profile for a Conference Manager, they can define specific "Account Limits." Under the profile settings (located inSystem > Settings > Admin Profiles), there is a field specifically for"Max Accounts."By entering "30" into this field, the administrator ensures that any user assigned to this profile cannot exceed 30 active conference accounts at any given time.

This setting is distinct from the Portal configuration or the Guest templates. While templates define thetypeof account (e.g., duration and access level), theAdministrative Profiledefines thecapabilities and limitationsof the person creating those accounts. This ensures that even if a guest template allows for unlimited registrations, the specific administrator is physically restricted by the system from generating more than the allotted 30.

"Administrative Profiles define what an administrator can see and do within the system. For delegated administration roles like the Conference Manager, the'Max Accounts'field in the Administrative Profile is used to specify the maximum number of accounts the user is permitted to create. Once this limit is reached, the user will be unable to generate additional accounts until existing ones expire or are deleted." —FortiNAC-F Administration Guide: Administrative Profiles and Delegated Administration.

FortiNAC-F serves as a central manager for security events originating from a diverse ecosystem of third-party security appliances, such as FortiGate, Check Point, and Cisco. Each vendor utilizes its own internal scale forseverity levelswithin syslog messages (e.g., Check Point uses a 1–5 scale, while others may use 0–7). To provide a consistent response regardless of the source, FortiNAC-F usesSeverity Mappingsto normalize these incoming values.

According to theFortiNAC-F Administration Guide, severity mappings allow the administrator to translate vendor-specific threat levels into standardizedFortiNAC Security Levels(such as High, Medium, or Low Violation). When a syslog message arrives, the parser extracts the vendor's severity code, and the system immediately references theSecurity Event Severity Level Mappingstable to determine how that event should be categorized internally. This normalization is vital because it allows a singleSecurity Alarmto be configured to respond to any "High Violation" event, whether it was reported as a "Critical" by one vendor or a "Level 5" by another. Without these mappings, the administrator would have to create separate, redundant security rules for every vendor to account for their different naming conventions and numerical scales.

"Each vendor defines its own severity levels for syslog messages. The following table shows the equivalent FortiNAC security level... To normalize these events, configure theSeverity Level Mappingsfound in the device integration guides. This allows FortiNAC to generate a consistent security event that can then trigger an alarm regardless of the reporting vendor's specific terminology." —FortiNAC-F Administration Guide: Vendor Severity Levels and Syslog Management.

When troubleshooting network access in FortiNAC-F, it is often necessary to verify exactly why a host has been granted a specific level of access. Since FortiNAC-F evaluates policies from the top down and assigns access based on the first match, an administrator needs a clear way to see the results of this evaluation for a specific live endpoint.

ThePolicy Details (C)view is the designated tool for this purpose. By navigating to theHosts > Hosts(or Adapter View) in the Administration UI, an administrator can search for the specific MAC address or IP of the host in question. Right-clicking on the host record reveals a context menu from whichPolicy Detailscan be selected. This view provides a real-time "look" into the policy engine's decision for that specific host, showing theNetwork Access Policythat was matched, theUser/Host Profilethat triggered the match, and the resultingNetwork Access Configuration(VLAN/ACL) currently applied.

WhilePolicy Logs (A)provide a historical record of all policy transitions across the system, they are often too high-volume to efficiently find a single host's current state. TheConnections view (B)shows the physical port and basic status but lacks the granular policy logic breakdown. ThePort Properties (D)view shows the configuration of the switch interface itself, which is only one component of the final access determination.

"To identify which policy is currently applied to a specific endpoint, use thePolicy Detailsview. Navigate toHosts > Hosts, select the host, right-click and choosePolicy Details. This window displays the specificNetwork Access Policy, User/Host Profile, and Network Access Configuration currently in effect for that host record." —FortiNAC-F Administration Guide: Policy Details and Troubleshooting.

In FortiNAC-F,Security Triggersare used to identify specific security-related activities based on incoming data such as Syslog messages or SNMP traps from external security devices (like a FortiGate or an IDS). These triggers act as a filtering mechanism to determine if an incoming notification should be escalated from a standard system event to aSecurity Event.

According to theFortiNAC-F Administrator Guideand relevant training materials for versions 7.2 and 7.4, theFilter Matchsetting is the critical logic gate for this process. As seen in the exhibit, the "Filter Match" configuration is set to"All". This means that for the Security Trigger named "Infected File Detected" to "fire" and generate a Security Event or a subsequent Security Alarm,every single filterlisted in the Security Filters table must be satisfied simultaneously by the incoming data.

In the provided exhibit, there are two filters: one looking for the Vendor"Fortinet"and another looking for the Sub Type"virus". If only one of these filters is satisfied (for example, a message from Fortinet that does not contain the "virus" subtype), the logic for the Security Trigger is not met. Consequently, FortiNAC-F does not escalate the notification. Instead, it processes theincoming data as aNormal Event, which is recorded in the Event Log but does not trigger the automated security response workflows associated with security alarms.

"The Filter Match option defines the logic used when multiple filters are defined. If'All'is selected, then all filter criteria must be met in order for the trigger to fire and aSecurity Eventto be generated. If the criteria are not met, the incoming data is processed as anormal event. If'Any'is selected, the trigger fires if at least one of the filters matches." —FortiNAC-F Administration Guide: Security Triggers Section.

TheFortiNAC-F Manager (FortiNAC-M)is designed as a centralized management platform for large-scale distributed environments where multiple FortiNAC-F Control and Application (CA) appliances are deployed across different sites. According to theFortiNAC-F Manager Administration Guide, the deployment of a Manager simplifies administrative overhead in three specific ways:

First, it providesGlobal Version Control (B). The Manager serves as a central repository for firmware and software updates, allowing administrators to push specific versions to all managed CAs simultaneously, ensuring consistency across the entire fabric. Second, it enablesPooled Licenses (D). Instead of purchasing and managing individual licenses for every CA, licenses are centralized on the Manager. The Manager then distributes these licenses to the CAs as needed based on their host counts. This "floating" license model optimizes cost and prevents individual sites from running out of capacity while others have excess. Third, it offersGlobal Visibility (E). The Manager aggregates host and device data from every managed CA into a single console. This "single pane of glass" allows an administrator to search for a specific MAC address or user across the entire global organization without logging into individual servers.

While the Manager can assist with configuration templates, authentication security policies (C) and infrastructure modeling (A) are still predominantly managed at the local CA level to ensure site-specific logic and performance.

"The FortiNAC Manager provides a central management console for multiple FortiNAC-F servers (CAs). Key benefits include: •License Management: Licenses are pooled on the Manager and allocated to managed CAs as needed. •Software Management: Firmware updates can be centrally managed and pushed to all CAs from the Manager. •Centralized Monitoring: Provides a global view of all hosts, adapters, and events across the entire managed environment." —FortiNAC-F Manager Administration Guide: Overview and Benefits.

In FortiNAC-F, theInventory topologyuses specific icons to represent the status and model of discovered network infrastructure. When a switch or other network device is discovered via SNMP, FortiNAC-F retrieves itsSystem ObjectID (sysObjectID)to identify the specific make and model. This OID is then compared against the internal database of supported device mappings.

Aquestion mark (?)icon appearing on a discovered switch indicates that while the discovery process successfully communicated with the device (meaning SNMP credentials were correct), theSNMP ObjectID is not recognizedor mapped in the current version of FortiNAC-F. This essentially means the device is "unsupported" by the current software out-of-the-box. Because the OID is unknown, FortiNAC-F does not know which CLI or SNMP command set to use for critical functions like L2 polling (host visibility) or VLAN switching (enforcement). To resolve this, an administrator can manually "Set Device Mapping" to a similar existing model or a "Generic SNMP Device" if only basic L3 visibility is required.

"Discovered devices displaying a'?' iconindicate the currently running version does not have a mapping for that device'sSystem OID(device is not supported). Device mappings are used to manage the device by performing functions such as L2/L3 Polling, Reading, and Switching VLANs." —Fortinet Technical Tip: Options for devices unable to be modeled in Inventory.