The correct answer is DMZ, or demilitarized zone, which is the security architecture that places internet-facing web servers in a separate network segment to protect the internal network. This works because a DMZ acts as a buffer zone between the untrusted internet and your trusted internal assets, forcing all inbound traffic to pass through a firewall that enforces strict access control policies before reaching the servers. On the CompTIA Network+ N10-009 exam, this concept tests your understanding of network segmentation and defense-in-depth; a common trap is confusing a DMZ with a VPN or VLAN, but remember that a DMZ specifically isolates public-facing services from internal hosts. A useful memory tip is to think of the DMZ as a “neutral zone” where outsiders can interact with your services without ever stepping foot inside your house.
N10-009 Network Security Practice Question
This N10-009 practice question tests your understanding of network 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 wants to protect its internal network by placing web servers that need to be accessible from the internet in a separate network segment. Which security architecture best describes this setup?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Why wrong: An intranet is a private network internal to an organization, not designed for public access.
B
VPN
Why wrong: A VPN is a secure tunnel over a public network, not a separate network segment for public-facing servers.
C
DMZ
A DMZ provides a buffer zone where public-facing servers are placed, allowing controlled access from the internet while keeping the internal network protected.
D
Extranet
Why wrong: An extranet is an extension of an intranet that allows controlled access to external partners, not specifically for internet-facing web servers.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
DMZ
A DMZ (demilitarized zone) is a network segment that sits between the internal trusted network and the external untrusted internet. By placing web servers in the DMZ, the company ensures that external users can access the servers without directly exposing the internal network, as traffic must pass through a firewall that enforces strict access control policies. This architecture is specifically designed to isolate public-facing services from internal assets, reducing the attack surface.
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.
✗
Intranet
Why it's wrong here
An intranet is a private network internal to an organization, not designed for public access.
✗
VPN
Why it's wrong here
A VPN is a secure tunnel over a public network, not a separate network segment for public-facing servers.
✓
DMZ
Why this is correct
A DMZ provides a buffer zone where public-facing servers are placed, allowing controlled access from the internet while keeping the internal network protected.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Extranet
Why it's wrong here
An extranet is an extension of an intranet that allows controlled access to external partners, not specifically for internet-facing web servers.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse a DMZ with a VPN, thinking that a VPN provides the same isolation for public servers, when in fact a VPN is designed for secure remote access to internal resources, not for hosting services accessible to the general internet.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a typical DMZ implementation, a firewall with three interfaces (external, DMZ, internal) uses stateful inspection and access control lists (ACLs) to permit only necessary traffic (e.g., HTTP/HTTPS to the web servers) from the internet to the DMZ, while blocking all inbound traffic from the DMZ to the internal network. This leverages the principle of least privilege and network segmentation, often following RFC 1918 addressing for the DMZ subnet. A real-world scenario is a company hosting a public e-commerce site in the DMZ while keeping the customer database on the internal network, requiring the web server to initiate outbound connections to the database through a firewall rule.
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 practitioner preparing for the N10-009 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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this N10-009 question in full detail.
Network Security — This question tests Network Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: DMZ — A DMZ (demilitarized zone) is a network segment that sits between the internal trusted network and the external untrusted internet. By placing web servers in the DMZ, the company ensures that external users can access the servers without directly exposing the internal network, as traffic must pass through a firewall that enforces strict access control policies. This architecture is specifically designed to isolate public-facing services from internal assets, reducing the attack surface.
What should I do if I get this N10-009 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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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