How is the hit count reset on a rule?

The hit count for a specific security policy rule is reset through the PAN-OS web interface. The correct procedure is to navigate to Policies > Security, select the specific rule, and then click the Reset Rule Hit Counter button located at the bottom of the policy rule list. While option A inaccurately describes the user interaction as a "right-click," it is the only option that correctly identifies the context for this action—selecting a specific rule within the security policy interface. The other options describe actions that are fundamentally incorrect or non-existent.

B. with a dataplane reboot: Security policy hit counters are persistent and are not cleared by rebooting the dataplane or the entire device. This action would be ineffective.
C. Device > Setup > Logging and Reporting Settings > Reset Hit Count: This menu path does not exist in PAN-OS for resetting rule hit counts. This action is performed directly within the security policy rulebase, not in global settings.
D. in the CLI, type command reset hitcount: The command reset hitcount is not a valid PAN-OS CLI command. The correct command to clear a rule's hit count is clear rule-hit-count.

1. Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS® Administrator’s Guide 10.2

"Monitor Policy Rule Usage":

Reference: In the section on managing security policy rules

the guide specifies the exact procedure: "To reset the hit count for a specific rule

select the rule and click Reset Rule Hit Counter at the bottom of the page." This directly supports the context of the correct answer (selecting a rule in the policy view) and refutes the specific user interaction described.

This source validates that the action occurs per-rule in the policy editor and not via reboot (B) or a global setting (C).

2. Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS® CLI Reference Guide 10.2

"clear rule-hit-count":

Reference: This guide documents the command clear rule-hit-count as the correct method for this task in the CLI. It states

"Use this command to clear the hit count for security policy rules."

This source directly invalidates option D

which provides an incorrect command syntax.

3. Palo Alto Networks Knowledge Base

Article ID 1310

"How to Reset or Clear Security Policy Rule Hit Counters":

Reference: This article explicitly details both the GUI and CLI methods. For the GUI

it states: "In the WebUI

go to Policies > Security

select the rule and click on 'Reset Rule Hit Counter' at the bottom of the screen." For the CLI

it provides the clear rule-hit-count command.

This source confirms the correct procedures and reinforces why options B

C

and D are incorrect.