Quick Answer
The correct answer is AWS WAF and AWS Shield Advanced, which together protect web applications from SQL injection and XSS attacks while also providing DDoS mitigation. AWS WAF integrates directly with an Application Load Balancer to inspect incoming HTTP/HTTPS requests and block malicious patterns like SQL injection payloads or cross-site scripting scripts using customizable rules. AWS Shield Advanced adds enhanced, always-on DDoS protection that works alongside WAF to absorb volumetric attacks that could bypass application-layer filters. On the ANS-C01 exam, this pairing tests your understanding of defense-in-depth at the application layer versus network-layer tools like AWS Network Firewall, which is a common distractor. Remember that WAF handles the web exploit logic, while Shield Advanced handles the flood—think of WAF as the bouncer checking IDs and Shield as the riot shield for the crowd. A useful memory tip: WAF for the words (SQL, XSS), Shield for the waves (DDoS).
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network security, compliance and governance. 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 is deploying a web application on EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer. The security team needs to protect the application from common web exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. Which TWO AWS services should be used together?
AWS Shield Advanced
DDoS protection.
AWS WAF
Web application firewall for SQL injection, XSS.
AWS Network Firewall
Why wrong: Network layer, not web application layer.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: Threat detection, not prevention.
AWS Firewall Manager
Why wrong: Central management, not direct protection.
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 Shield Advanced
Options B and D are correct. Option B: AWS WAF integrates with ALB to filter web requests. Option D: AWS Shield Advanced provides enhanced DDoS protection. Option A is wrong because AWS Network Firewall is for network layer, not web application layer. Option C is wrong because Amazon GuardDuty is for threat detection, not prevention. Option E is wrong because AWS Firewall Manager is for central management, not direct protection.
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.
AWS Shield Advanced
Why this is correct
DDoS protection.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS WAF
Why this is correct
Web application firewall for SQL injection, XSS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Network Firewall
Why it's wrong here
Network layer, not web application layer.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
Threat detection, not prevention.
AWS Firewall Manager
Why it's wrong here
Central management, not direct protection.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which ANS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Network Security, Compliance and Governance — This question tests Network Security, Compliance and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Shield Advanced — Options B and D are correct. Option B: AWS WAF integrates with ALB to filter web requests. Option D: AWS Shield Advanced provides enhanced DDoS protection. Option A is wrong because AWS Network Firewall is for network layer, not web application layer. Option C is wrong because Amazon GuardDuty is for threat detection, not prevention. Option E is wrong because AWS Firewall Manager is for central management, not direct protection.
Identify which ANS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is using AWS WAF to protect a web application behind an Application Load Balancer. They want to block requests that contain SQL injection attacks. Which WAF rule type should they use?
mediumWhy B: AWS WAF provides managed rule groups specifically designed to detect common web threats, including SQL injection attacks. The 'Managed rule group for SQL injection' contains pre-configured rules that inspect request components (such as query strings, URI, and body) for SQL injection patterns, making it the correct choice for blocking such attacks without requiring custom rule authoring.
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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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