Quick Answer
The correct answer is AWS WAF and AWS Shield Advanced. AWS WAF is a web application firewall that directly protects EC2 applications from common web exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting by allowing you to create custom rules that inspect and filter HTTP(S) requests for malicious patterns, such as SQL commands or script tags, before they reach your application. AWS Shield Advanced provides additional DDoS protection and enhanced threat detection, complementing WAF to safeguard against larger-scale attacks that could bypass basic filtering. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this pairing tests your understanding of layered security for web applications, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must choose services that mitigate both application-layer and network-layer threats. A common trap is selecting only Shield Advanced, but remember that Shield alone does not inspect request payloads—WAF handles the specific exploit patterns. Memory tip: WAF filters the words, Shield blocks the flood.
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. 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 TWO AWS services can be used to protect an application running on EC2 from common web exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting?
Amazon CloudWatch
Why wrong: CloudWatch is for monitoring and observability.
Security Groups
Why wrong: Security Groups operate at the network layer, not application layer.
AWS WAF
WAF can block SQL injection and XSS attacks.
AWS Shield Advanced
Shield Advanced provides enhanced DDoS protection and includes WAF.
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Why wrong: IAM is for managing access to AWS resources.
Answer choices
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 that could affect application availability, compromise security, or consume excessive resources. It allows you to create rules that filter and monitor HTTP(S) requests based on conditions such as IP addresses, HTTP headers, URI strings, and SQL injection or cross-site scripting patterns, making it the correct choice for protecting against these specific threats.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon CloudWatch
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch is for monitoring and observability.
Security Groups
Why it's wrong here
Security Groups operate at the network layer, not application layer.
AWS WAF
Why this is correct
WAF can block SQL injection and XSS attacks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Shield Advanced
Why this is correct
Shield Advanced provides enhanced DDoS protection and includes WAF.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Why it's wrong here
IAM is for managing access to AWS resources.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Security Groups (Layer 3/4 network filtering) with application-layer protection, mistakenly believing they can block web exploits, when in fact they only control traffic based on IP/port rules and have no awareness of HTTP payload content.
Detailed technical explanation
AWS WAF integrates with Application Load Balancers, Amazon CloudFront, and API Gateway to inspect HTTP(S) requests at the application layer (Layer 7). It uses managed rule groups, such as the AWS Managed Rules for SQL injection and XSS, which contain pre-configured signatures that match common attack patterns, and you can also create custom rules using regex patterns or string matching. In a real-world scenario, a rule can be set to block requests containing 'OR 1=1' in query strings to prevent SQL injection, or to block script tags in form fields to prevent XSS.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
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FAQ
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS WAF — AWS WAF is a web application firewall that helps protect web applications from common web exploits that could affect application availability, compromise security, or consume excessive resources. It allows you to create rules that filter and monitor HTTP(S) requests based on conditions such as IP addresses, HTTP headers, URI strings, and SQL injection or cross-site scripting patterns, making it the correct choice for protecting against these specific threats.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This DVA-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 DVA-C02 exam.
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