This DOP-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.
A company runs a web application on EC2 behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). They want to protect against SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. Which AWS service should they use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Deploy AWS WAF in front of the ALB and create rules to block SQL injection and XSS.
AWS WAF is a web application firewall that integrates directly with Application Load Balancers to inspect HTTP/HTTPS requests for common attack patterns. It provides managed rule sets specifically designed to block SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks at the application layer, which is exactly what this scenario requires.
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.
✗
Configure security groups to allow only HTTP/HTTPS traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Security groups work at the network layer and cannot inspect application-layer payloads.
✗
Configure network ACLs to block common attack patterns based on IP ranges.
Why it's wrong here
NACLs are stateless and cannot inspect content; they filter based on IP, ports, and protocols only.
✓
Deploy AWS WAF in front of the ALB and create rules to block SQL injection and XSS.
Why this is correct
AWS WAF provides managed rules for SQL injection and XSS at the application layer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable AWS Shield Advanced to protect the ALB.
Why it's wrong here
Shield Advanced provides DDoS protection, not application-layer attack filtering.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse network-layer controls (security groups, NACLs) or DDoS protection (Shield) with application-layer filtering, failing to recognize that only a web application firewall like AWS WAF can inspect HTTP payloads for injection attacks.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS WAF uses a rules engine that evaluates incoming HTTP requests against conditions such as regex patterns, string matches, or SQL injection signatures. For SQL injection, WAF inspects the URI, query string, and body for SQL metacharacters (e.g., single quotes, 'OR 1=1'), while XSS detection looks for script tags and event handlers. WAF rules are processed in order, and you can combine managed rule groups (e.g., AWS-AWSManagedRulesSQLiRuleSet) with custom rules for fine-grained control.
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 — 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: Deploy AWS WAF in front of the ALB and create rules to block SQL injection and XSS. — AWS WAF is a web application firewall that integrates directly with Application Load Balancers to inspect HTTP/HTTPS requests for common attack patterns. It provides managed rule sets specifically designed to block SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks at the application layer, which is exactly what this scenario requires.
What should I do if I get this DOP-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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Question Discussion
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