This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure 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.
A company is using AWS Shield Advanced to protect its web application against DDoS attacks. Which additional AWS service can be used to automatically mitigate application layer attacks?
AWS Network Firewall
Why wrong: Provides network layer filtering, not application layer DDoS.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: Threat detection service, not mitigation.
AWS Firewall Manager
Why wrong: Used to centrally manage firewall rules, not mitigation.
AWS WAF
Integrates with Shield Advanced for application layer DDoS mitigation.
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
Option D (AWS WAF) is correct because it integrates with Shield Advanced for application layer DDoS mitigation. Option A (AWS Firewall Manager) is for managing rules. Option B (AWS Network Firewall) is for network layer. Option C (AWS GuardDuty) is for threat detection.
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 Network Firewall
Why it's wrong here
Provides network layer filtering, not application layer DDoS.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
Threat detection service, not mitigation.
AWS Firewall Manager
Why it's wrong here
Used to centrally manage firewall rules, not mitigation.
AWS WAF
Why this is correct
Integrates with Shield Advanced for application layer DDoS mitigation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 SCS-C02 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
Infrastructure Security — This question tests Infrastructure Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS WAF — Option D (AWS WAF) is correct because it integrates with Shield Advanced for application layer DDoS mitigation. Option A (AWS Firewall Manager) is for managing rules. Option B (AWS Network Firewall) is for network layer. Option C (AWS GuardDuty) is for threat detection.
Identify which SCS-C02 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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This SCS-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 SCS-C02 exam.
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