The answer is AWS WAF paired with an Application Load Balancer (ALB). This combination is correct because the ALB operates at Layer 7, allowing it to inspect HTTP and HTTPS traffic, while AWS WAF provides a managed rule set that blocks common web exploits such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS), effectively creating a web application firewall that protects resources in private subnets. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to integrate Layer 7 filtering with VPC architecture, often appearing as a multi-service question where a common trap is selecting a Network Load Balancer (which lacks Layer 7 inspection) or forgetting that AWS WAF must be associated with an ALB, CloudFront, or API Gateway—not directly with EC2 instances. A useful memory tip: think “ALB + WAF = Layer 7 shield” to recall that the ALB provides the traffic endpoint while WAF applies the security rules.
ANS-C01 Network Security, Compliance and Governance Practice Question
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 has a VPC with public and private subnets. The security team wants to implement a web application firewall to protect against common web exploits. Which TWO AWS services can be used together to achieve this?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
Option A is correct because an Application Load Balancer (ALB) operates at Layer 7 and can be associated with AWS WAF to inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic for common web exploits. AWS WAF provides a managed rule set that blocks SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other OWASP Top 10 threats. Together, they form a web application firewall (WAF) solution that protects resources in the VPC's private subnets.
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.
✓
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
Why this is correct
ALB can be associated with AWS WAF to inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Network Load Balancer (NLB)
Why it's wrong here
NLB operates at layer 4 and does not support AWS WAF.
✓
AWS WAF
Why this is correct
AWS WAF provides web application firewall capabilities.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
NAT Gateway
Why it's wrong here
NATGateway is for outbound internet access, not web application firewall.
✗
Amazon CloudFront
Why it's wrong here
CloudFront can be used with WAF, but the question asks for two services that work together; ALB+WAF is a direct combination.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
AWS often tests the misconception that any load balancer can integrate with AWS WAF, but only Layer 7 load balancers (ALB) support this integration, not Layer 4 (NLB).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS WAF integrates with ALB via web ACLs that evaluate incoming HTTP(S) requests against rules such as rate-based blocking, IP set matching, and regex pattern matching. Under the hood, the ALB terminates TLS and passes the decrypted request to WAF for inspection before forwarding to targets. In a real-world scenario, you might deploy an ALB in a public subnet with WAF attached, then route traffic to EC2 instances in private subnets, ensuring that only clean traffic reaches the application servers.
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 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
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.
Network Security, Compliance and Governance — This question tests Network Security, Compliance and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Application Load Balancer (ALB) — Option A is correct because an Application Load Balancer (ALB) operates at Layer 7 and can be associated with AWS WAF to inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic for common web exploits. AWS WAF provides a managed rule set that blocks SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other OWASP Top 10 threats. Together, they form a web application firewall (WAF) solution that protects resources in the VPC's private subnets.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 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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