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200-201 Practice Question: A network administrator wants to detect SQL…
A network administrator wants to detect SQL injection attacks against web servers. Which type of IDS/IPS sensor placement would be most effective?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that placing the IDS/IPS outside the firewall provides the best visibility, but the trap is that this ignores the need to filter out irrelevant traffic and focus on the specific segment (DMZ) where the targeted servers and their application-layer vulnerabilities exist.
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
✓
Inside the firewall on the DMZ
Placing the IDS/IPS inside the firewall on the DMZ allows it to inspect traffic that has already passed the firewall's initial access controls but is still destined for the web servers. SQL injection attacks target application-layer vulnerabilities in web services, and the DMZ is the network segment where these servers reside. This placement ensures the sensor can analyze decrypted HTTP/HTTPS payloads for malicious SQL patterns without being overwhelmed by general internet noise, while the firewall provides a first line of defense against non-web threats.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Outside the firewall
Why it's wrong here
Would see raw internet traffic, not focused on DMZ servers.
- ✗
At the core switch
Why it's wrong here
May not have clear visibility into DMZ traffic.
- ✗
On the internal network
Why it's wrong here
Would miss attacks to DMZ servers.
- ✓
Inside the firewall on the DMZ
Why this is correct
Monitors traffic to web servers after firewall filtering, reducing noise.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-201 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 200-201 exam.