- A
Use a transit gateway with network ACLs to filter traffic between tiers.
Why wrong: Transit gateway is for connecting multiple VPCs, not for security filtering within a VPC.
- B
Use VPC peering to connect the tiers and apply security groups on the peering connection.
Why wrong: VPC peering is for connecting VPCs, not for filtering traffic within a VPC.
- C
Use network ACLs to provide a secondary layer of stateless filtering at the subnet level.
Network ACLs can be used to further restrict traffic between subnets.
- D
Use a single security group for all tiers and define rules based on CIDR blocks.
Why wrong: A single security group cannot differentiate between tiers effectively.
- E
Use security groups for each tier and allow traffic only from the source security group on the required ports.
Security groups allow you to reference other security groups as sources, enabling precise control.
ANS-C01 Network Security, Compliance and Governance Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network security, compliance and governance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 is designing a network security architecture for a multi-tier application. They want to ensure that the web tier can communicate with the application tier only on specific ports, and the application tier can communicate with the database tier only on specific ports. Which TWO configurations should be implemented?
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
Use network ACLs to provide a secondary layer of stateless filtering at the subnet level.
Options A and B are correct. Security groups are used to control traffic between tiers based on security group IDs. Network ACLs are stateless and can be used as a secondary layer. Option C is wrong because a single security group cannot differentiate between tiers; multiple security groups are needed. Option D is wrong because VPC peering is for connecting VPCs, not for traffic filtering within a VPC. Option E is wrong because a transit gateway is for connecting multiple VPCs, not for security filtering.
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use a transit gateway with network ACLs to filter traffic between tiers.
Why it's wrong here
Transit gateway is for connecting multiple VPCs, not for security filtering within a VPC.
- ✗
Use VPC peering to connect the tiers and apply security groups on the peering connection.
Why it's wrong here
VPC peering is for connecting VPCs, not for filtering traffic within a VPC.
- ✓
Use network ACLs to provide a secondary layer of stateless filtering at the subnet level.
Why this is correct
Network ACLs can be used to further restrict traffic between subnets.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- ✗
Use a single security group for all tiers and define rules based on CIDR blocks.
Why it's wrong here
A single security group cannot differentiate between tiers effectively.
- ✓
Use security groups for each tier and allow traffic only from the source security group on the required ports.
Why this is correct
Security groups allow you to reference other security groups as sources, enabling precise control.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
- Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
- The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
- Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
- Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
- Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related ANS-C01 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ANS-C01 question test?
Network Security, Compliance and Governance — This question tests Network Security, Compliance and Governance — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use network ACLs to provide a secondary layer of stateless filtering at the subnet level. — Options A and B are correct. Security groups are used to control traffic between tiers based on security group IDs. Network ACLs are stateless and can be used as a secondary layer. Option C is wrong because a single security group cannot differentiate between tiers; multiple security groups are needed. Option D is wrong because VPC peering is for connecting VPCs, not for traffic filtering within a VPC. Option E is wrong because a transit gateway is for connecting multiple VPCs, not for security filtering.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related ANS-C01 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This ANS-C01 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 ANS-C01 exam.
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