- A
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: GuardDuty is a threat detection service, not an inline prevention service.
- B
AWS Shield Advanced
Shield Advanced provides advanced DDoS protection and integrates with WAF.
- C
Network ACLs
Why wrong: NACLs operate at the subnet level and do not inspect application layer traffic.
- D
AWS WAF
WAF can be attached to ALB to inspect and filter web requests.
- E
Amazon CloudFront
Why wrong: CloudFront is a CDN; it can be used with WAF but not alone for filtering.
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 web application on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The security engineer needs to protect the application from common web exploits such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting. Which TWO services can be used together to achieve this? (Choose TWO.)
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 Shield Advanced
AWS WAF (Option D) can be associated with an ALB to filter web requests and protect against common exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. AWS Shield Advanced (Option B) provides enhanced DDoS protection and integrates with WAF for additional layer 7 protections. Option A is wrong because GuardDuty is a threat detection service, not an inline web application firewall. Option C is wrong because Network ACLs operate at the subnet level and do not provide application-layer filtering. Option E is wrong because CloudFront is a CDN, and while it can be used with WAF, it alone does not provide WAF rules.
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.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty is a threat detection service, not an inline prevention service.
- ✓
AWS Shield Advanced
Why this is correct
Shield Advanced provides advanced DDoS protection and integrates with WAF.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- ✗
Network ACLs
Why it's wrong here
NACLs operate at the subnet level and do not inspect application layer traffic.
- ✓
AWS WAF
Why this is correct
WAF can be attached to ALB to inspect and filter web requests.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- ✗
Amazon CloudFront
Why it's wrong here
CloudFront is a CDN; it can be used with WAF but not alone for filtering.
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 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.
Visual reference
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 SCS-C02 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Infrastructure Security — This question tests Infrastructure Security — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Shield Advanced — AWS WAF (Option D) can be associated with an ALB to filter web requests and protect against common exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. AWS Shield Advanced (Option B) provides enhanced DDoS protection and integrates with WAF for additional layer 7 protections. Option A is wrong because GuardDuty is a threat detection service, not an inline web application firewall. Option C is wrong because Network ACLs operate at the subnet level and do not provide application-layer filtering. Option E is wrong because CloudFront is a CDN, and while it can be used with WAF, it alone does not provide WAF rules.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 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 SCS-C02 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
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