- A
AWS Shield
Why wrong: AWS Shield protects against DDoS attacks at Layers 3 and 4 — it doesn't inspect application-layer traffic for SQL injection or XSS.
- B
AWS WAF
WAF inspects HTTP/HTTPS requests and applies rules to block web attacks including SQL injection, XSS, and bad bots at the application layer (Layer 7).
- C
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: GuardDuty uses ML to detect threats using CloudTrail, DNS, and flow logs — it doesn't inspect web application traffic for OWASP vulnerabilities.
- D
Security Groups
Why wrong: Security groups filter network traffic by IP and port — they cannot inspect application-layer content for web attacks.
Question 778 of 1,024
CLF-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which AWS service provides a Web Application Firewall that protects web applications from common exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS WAF
AWS WAF is a web application firewall that helps protect web applications from common web exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). It allows you to create custom rules that block, allow, or monitor web requests based on conditions such as IP addresses, HTTP headers, URI strings, and request body content. This makes it the correct service for the described use case.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
AWS Shield
Why it's wrong here
AWS Shield protects against DDoS attacks at Layers 3 and 4 — it doesn't inspect application-layer traffic for SQL injection or XSS.
- ✓
AWS WAF
Why this is correct
WAF inspects HTTP/HTTPS requests and applies rules to block web attacks including SQL injection, XSS, and bad bots at the application layer (Layer 7).
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty uses ML to detect threats using CloudTrail, DNS, and flow logs — it doesn't inspect web application traffic for OWASP vulnerabilities.
- ✗
Security Groups
Why it's wrong here
Security groups filter network traffic by IP and port — they cannot inspect application-layer content for web attacks.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Shield (DDoS protection) with AWS WAF (application-layer filtering), but Shield operates at the network/transport layer while WAF inspects application-layer payloads for exploits like SQL injection and XSS.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS WAF integrates with Amazon CloudFront, Application Load Balancer (ALB), and API Gateway to inspect incoming HTTP(S) requests. It uses a rule engine that evaluates conditions such as SQL injection match patterns (e.g., '1=1' or 'OR 1=1') and XSS patterns (e.g., '<script>') against request components. In a real-world scenario, you can deploy a managed rule group like the AWS Managed Rules for SQL Injection and XSS to automatically block these attacks without writing custom rules.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS WAF — AWS WAF is a web application firewall that helps protect web applications from common web exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). It allows you to create custom rules that block, allow, or monitor web requests based on conditions such as IP addresses, HTTP headers, URI strings, and request body content. This makes it the correct service for the described use case.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This CLF-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CLF-C02 exam.
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