Zscaler Zero Trust Cyber Associate Questions and Answers
Question 21
Where is it most effective to assess the content of a connection?
Options:
A.
At the policy enforcement point, as close to an initiator as possible, for example the closest edge.
B.
Within a data center deployed in a one-armed concentrator mode.
C.
On disk, after first being copied several times for a backup.
D.
Within an ISP’s fiber backbone.
Answer:
A
Explanation:
The correct answer is A . In Zero Trust architecture, content inspection is most effective when it happens inline at the policy enforcement point and as close to the initiator as possible . This improves both security and user experience. From a security standpoint, inspecting traffic early allows the platform to identify malware, risky content, command-and-control behavior, and sensitive data movement before the traffic continues deeper into the environment or reaches the destination. From a performance standpoint, enforcing policy at the nearest edge reduces unnecessary backhaul and helps maintain a more efficient path.
This aligns with modern cloud-delivered Zero Trust design, where users connect to the nearest enforcement point rather than being forced through a central data center stack. A one-armed concentrator model is a legacy deployment concept and is less effective for distributed users and applications. Inspecting data only after it has been copied to disk is too late for inline protection, and an ISP backbone is not the enterprise’s policy enforcement location. Therefore, the best answer is that content should be assessed at the enforcement point closest to the initiator , such as the nearest service edge.
Question 22
When connecting to internal applications, something that you manage, what is the right way to implement Zero Trust for inbound connections?
Options:
A.
Direct access to internal applications must never be allowed. Furthermore, internal applications should never be exposed to any untrusted initiator and thus must be dark. Only authorized users can connect.
B.
Allow direct access for on-site initiators and enforce authorization for remote connections.
C.
Allow direct access for connections from enterprise-managed devices and enforce authorization for unmanaged devices, on-site or remote.
D.
Only allow connections via a secure point-to-point VPN connection.
Answer:
A
Explanation:
The correct answer is A . Zscaler’s Zero Trust architecture explicitly states that applications should be inaccessible unless the user is authorized and that the attack surface should remain invisible even to authorized users until policy allows access. The ZPA segmentation guidance says that decoupling the user from network-based access makes applications invisible unless the user is authorized, and the Universal ZTNA guide similarly states that applications should be inaccessible unless the user is authorized.
This means internal applications should not be exposed by default through open inbound listeners or broad network reachability. The Zero Trust model is to keep applications effectively dark to unauthorized initiators and make them available only through the policy-brokered access path. That is more secure than allowing direct access for on-site users, managed devices, or VPN-connected users, because those approaches reintroduce implicit network trust.
Therefore, the correct implementation is to avoid direct exposure of internal applications and allow access only for authorized users through the Zero Trust access model . That aligns directly with ZPA’s goal of no broad network access and no lateral movement.