Quick Answer
The answer is a Web Application Firewall (WAF), input validation, and secure coding practices. A WAF filters and monitors HTTP traffic between the web application and the internet, blocking common OWASP Top 10 attack patterns like SQL injection and cross-site scripting before they reach the cloud application. Input validation, as a fundamental control, sanitizes and whitelists user-supplied data at the application layer, directly neutralizing injection attacks by rejecting malformed input. On the Cisco SCOR 350-701 exam, this question tests your ability to map layered defenses to specific threat categories; a common trap is selecting only network-based controls like ACLs, which fail to inspect application-layer payloads. Remember the mnemonic “WIV” (WAF, Input validation, secure coding) to recall that cloud security requires both perimeter filtering and application-level hygiene.
This 350-701 practice question tests your understanding of cloud security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 cloud-based web application and wants to protect against OWASP Top 10 attacks. Which THREE security controls should they implement? (Select three.)
Input validation
Prevents injection attacks.
Rate limiting
Prevents brute force and DDoS.
Data loss prevention (DLP)
Why wrong: Not directly related to OWASP.
Network segmentation at the hypervisor level
Why wrong: Network security, not OWASP-specific.
Web application firewall (WAF)
Filters common web attacks.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Input validation
Input validation (A) is correct because it is a fundamental security control that sanitizes and validates user-supplied data before processing, directly mitigating injection attacks (e.g., SQLi, XSS) listed in the OWASP Top 10. By enforcing whitelist-based validation on the cloud-based web application, it prevents malformed or malicious input from reaching the application logic, which is critical for cloud environments where the application is exposed to the internet.
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.
Input validation
Why this is correct
Prevents injection attacks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Rate limiting
Why this is correct
Prevents brute force and DDoS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Data loss prevention (DLP)
Why it's wrong here
Not directly related to OWASP.
Network segmentation at the hypervisor level
Why it's wrong here
Network security, not OWASP-specific.
Web application firewall (WAF)
Why this is correct
Filters common web attacks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between application-layer controls (input validation, WAF, rate limiting) and infrastructure-layer controls (DLP, hypervisor segmentation), leading candidates to mistakenly select DLP or hypervisor segmentation as protections against OWASP Top 10 attacks.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, input validation often uses regular expressions or allowlists (e.g., RFC 5322 for email) to reject unexpected characters, while a WAF (E) uses signature-based and anomaly-based detection (e.g., ModSecurity CRS rules) to inspect HTTP headers, cookies, and payloads for attack patterns like XSS or CSRF. Rate limiting (B) works by tracking request frequency per IP or session (e.g., using token bucket algorithms) to mitigate brute-force attacks and DoS, which are common in OWASP scenarios like broken authentication. In a real-world cloud deployment, combining these three controls creates a defense-in-depth strategy: input validation catches malformed data at the app level, WAF blocks known attack signatures at the network edge, and rate limiting prevents resource exhaustion.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the 350-701 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Cloud Security — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Cloud Security practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All 350-701 questions
500 questions across all exam domains
Cisco SCOR / CCNP Security Core 350-701 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
350-701 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise 350-701 questions linked to Endpoint Protection and Detection.
Practise 350-701 questions linked to Secure Network Access, Visibility and Enforcement.
Practise 350-701 questions linked to Security Concepts.
Practise 350-701 questions linked to Network Security.
Practise 350-701 questions linked to Cloud Security.
Practise 350-701 questions linked to Content Security.
Practise 350-701 questions linked to 350-701 fundamentals.
Practise 350-701 questions linked to 350-701 scenario.
Practise 350-701 questions linked to 350-701 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Cloud Security — This question tests Cloud Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Input validation — Input validation (A) is correct because it is a fundamental security control that sanitizes and validates user-supplied data before processing, directly mitigating injection attacks (e.g., SQLi, XSS) listed in the OWASP Top 10. By enforcing whitelist-based validation on the cloud-based web application, it prevents malformed or malicious input from reaching the application logic, which is critical for cloud environments where the application is exposed to the internet.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This 350-701 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco 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 350-701 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.