- A
Security Groups
Correct because security groups act as virtual firewalls for instances.
- B
Internet Gateway
Why wrong: Incorrect because an IGW provides internet connectivity, not security.
- C
Route Tables
Why wrong: Incorrect because route tables determine where traffic goes, not whether it's allowed.
- D
Network ACLs
Correct because NACLs filter traffic at the subnet level.
- E
VPC Peering
Why wrong: Incorrect because peering connects VPCs but does not provide security filtering.
Question 94 of 1,546
SOA-C02 Networking and Content Delivery Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of networking and content delivery. 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.
Which TWO AWS services can be used to improve the security of a VPC? (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
✓
Security Groups
Security Groups (A) act as a virtual firewall for instances, controlling inbound and outbound traffic at the instance level based on allow rules only. Network ACLs (D) provide a stateless firewall layer at the subnet level, supporting both allow and deny rules, and are evaluated in numeric order. Together, they offer defense-in-depth for VPC traffic filtering.
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.
- ✓
Security Groups
Why this is correct
Correct because security groups act as virtual firewalls for instances.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Internet Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because an IGW provides internet connectivity, not security.
- ✗
Route Tables
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because route tables determine where traffic goes, not whether it's allowed.
- ✓
Network ACLs
Why this is correct
Correct because NACLs filter traffic at the subnet level.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
VPC Peering
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because peering connects VPCs but does not provide security filtering.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse routing components (Internet Gateway, Route Tables, VPC Peering) with security components, assuming any VPC construct that controls traffic flow also provides security filtering.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Security Groups are stateful, meaning if you allow inbound traffic on port 443, the outbound return traffic is automatically permitted regardless of outbound rules. Network ACLs are stateless, so you must explicitly define both inbound and outbound rules for bidirectional traffic; they are evaluated in ascending order by rule number, and the first matching rule determines the action (allow or deny). In a real-world scenario, you might use a Network ACL to block specific IP ranges at the subnet boundary while using Security Groups for granular per-instance controls, such as allowing only HTTP/S traffic to web 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 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.
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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Networking and Content Delivery — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Networking and Content Delivery — This question tests Networking and Content Delivery — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Security Groups — Security Groups (A) act as a virtual firewall for instances, controlling inbound and outbound traffic at the instance level based on allow rules only. Network ACLs (D) provide a stateless firewall layer at the subnet level, supporting both allow and deny rules, and are evaluated in numeric order. Together, they offer defense-in-depth for VPC traffic filtering.
What should I do if I get this SOA-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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.
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