Exam 156-215.82 Topic 1 Question 15 Discussion

The correct answer is B. The Fail Mode setting controls what the gateway does when HTTPS/SSL inspection cannot be completed successfully. Operationally, this determines whether traffic is allowed to pass without inspection or blocked when inspection fails, depending on the configured mode and side of the connection. Check Point R82 SSL/HTTPS inspection settings describe fail-mode behavior as defining whether requests are allowed or blocked when inspection fails. Option A is wrong because NAT policy enforcement is separate from HTTPS Inspection failure behavior. Option C is wrong because bypassing internal or trusted traffic is handled with bypass rules, categories, or allow lists, not fail mode itself. Option D is also incorrect because fail mode is about failure handling for HTTPS inspection, not forcing the environment to use HTTP only. This is a critical production setting: a fail- open posture improves availability but can reduce inspection coverage, while a fail-close posture improves security control but may affect user connectivity if inspection errors occur. Reference topics:
HTTPS Inspection, Fail Mode, SSL Inspection failure handling, inspection bypass versus block behavior.