- A
AWS WAF.
AWS WAF can inspect HTTP requests and block SQL injection and XSS.
- B
AWS Network Firewall.
Why wrong: Network Firewall provides network-layer filtering, not application-layer inspection.
- C
AWS Shield Advanced.
Why wrong: Shield Advanced protects against DDoS attacks, not application-layer exploits.
- D
AWS Security Hub.
Why wrong: Security Hub aggregates security findings, it does not block traffic.
Question 372 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Infrastructure Security Practice Question
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 deploying a multi-tier web application on AWS. The application uses an Application Load Balancer (ALB) to distribute traffic to EC2 instances in private subnets. The security team wants to protect the application from common web exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. Which AWS service should be used?
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
✓
AWS WAF.
AWS WAF is a web application firewall that helps protect web applications from common web exploits such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). It integrates directly with an Application Load Balancer (ALB) to inspect HTTP/HTTPS requests and filter malicious traffic based on customizable rules, including managed rule groups for OWASP Top 10 threats.
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.
- ✓
AWS WAF.
Why this is correct
AWS WAF can inspect HTTP requests and block SQL injection and XSS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS Network Firewall.
Why it's wrong here
Network Firewall provides network-layer filtering, not application-layer inspection.
- ✗
AWS Shield Advanced.
Why it's wrong here
Shield Advanced protects against DDoS attacks, not application-layer exploits.
- ✗
AWS Security Hub.
Why it's wrong here
Security Hub aggregates security findings, it does not block traffic.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Network Firewall (Layer 3/4 filtering) with a web application firewall, not realizing that SQL injection and XSS require Layer 7 HTTP payload inspection, which only AWS WAF provides.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS WAF uses a rule engine that evaluates each incoming HTTP request against conditions like SQL injection match patterns or cross-site scripting match sets. When integrated with an ALB, WAF inspects the request body, headers, and URI path before the request reaches the backend EC2 instances, allowing it to block or count malicious requests at the edge. A subtle behavior is that WAF rules can be scoped to specific URI paths or query string parameters, enabling granular protection without affecting legitimate traffic.
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 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.
Visual reference
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.
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Infrastructure Security — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Infrastructure Security — This question tests Infrastructure Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS WAF. — AWS WAF is a web application firewall that helps protect web applications from common web exploits such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). It integrates directly with an Application Load Balancer (ALB) to inspect HTTP/HTTPS requests and filter malicious traffic based on customizable rules, including managed rule groups for OWASP Top 10 threats.
What should I do if I get this SCS-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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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