This 350-701 practice question tests your understanding of cloud security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
During a cloud migration, an organization notices increased latency in AWS workloads when using Cisco Firepower for traffic inspection. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The Firepower instance is undersized for the traffic volume
When using Cisco Firepower for traffic inspection in AWS, the Firepower instance must process all traffic traversing the virtual appliance. If the instance type (e.g., m5.large) is undersized relative to the throughput demands (e.g., exceeding 1 Gbps), packet processing will queue, causing increased latency. This is a common scaling issue in cloud migrations where on-premises traffic patterns are replicated without adjusting instance sizing.
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.
✓
The Firepower instance is undersized for the traffic volume
Why this is correct
Undersized instance leads to high CPU and latency.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The VPC routing table is misconfigured, causing traffic to hairpin
Why it's wrong here
Hairpinning could add latency, but the most common cause is undersizing.
✗
AWS WAF is conflicting with Firepower rules
Why it's wrong here
AWS WAF and Firepower can coexist without conflict.
✗
Firepower is inspecting encrypted traffic without SSL decryption
Why it's wrong here
SSL inspection would add latency, but that is a configuration choice.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that latency in cloud inspection is always due to routing misconfigurations (Option B), but the real trap is that undersized virtual appliances are the primary cause when traffic volume exceeds instance capacity, not network topology errors.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) in AWS uses a virtual instance that relies on the underlying EC2 CPU and memory. When traffic exceeds the instance's capacity, the Snort inspection engine drops packets or queues them, introducing jitter and latency. Real-world migrations often overlook that cloud instances have burstable vs. dedicated CPU (e.g., T3 vs. C5), and Firepower's 'throughput' license tier must match the instance type to avoid throttling.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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.
Cloud Security — This question tests Cloud Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The Firepower instance is undersized for the traffic volume — When using Cisco Firepower for traffic inspection in AWS, the Firepower instance must process all traffic traversing the virtual appliance. If the instance type (e.g., m5.large) is undersized relative to the throughput demands (e.g., exceeding 1 Gbps), packet processing will queue, causing increased latency. This is a common scaling issue in cloud migrations where on-premises traffic patterns are replicated without adjusting instance sizing.
What should I do if I get this 350-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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