Question 448 of 1,152

Security Architecture →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

SY0-701 Security Architecture Practice Question

This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security architecture. 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.

A small company is moving its public web app to a new network. The front-end server must be reachable from the internet, the application server should only accept traffic from the front end, and the database must never be reachable from the internet or user VLANs. Which design best meets these requirements with the least exposure?

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.
Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Clue: "never"
Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Open the full VLAN trunking answer →

A
Place all three servers in the same server VLAN and use host-based firewalls to separate them.
Why wrong: This reduces some risk, but all systems remain on the same network segment. A compromise of one host still leaves the others close by and increases lateral movement opportunities.
B
Place the web server in a DMZ, the application server in an internal subnet, and the database in a separate restricted subnet with firewall rules between each tier.
This is the strongest design because each tier is isolated according to exposure. The web server is the only internet-facing system, the application tier only receives approved traffic from the web tier, and the database is protected behind internal filtering. That layout limits attack paths and supports least privilege between network zones.
C
Place the database in the DMZ so the web and application servers can access it directly without extra firewall rules.
Why wrong: The database is the most sensitive tier and should not be exposed in the DMZ. This increases the blast radius if the perimeter-facing segment is compromised.
D
Place the web server on the user VLAN and use NAT to hide the database server from the internet.
Why wrong: NAT does not provide proper segmentation, and placing the web server on a user VLAN mixes public services with client devices. That weakens isolation and expands risk.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Place the web server in a DMZ, the application server in an internal subnet, and the database in a separate restricted subnet with firewall rules between each tier.

Option B is correct because it implements a classic three-tier architecture with network segmentation. The web server in the DMZ is isolated from internal networks but accessible from the internet, the application server in an internal subnet is protected by firewall rules that only allow traffic from the DMZ, and the database in a separate restricted subnet is further isolated with firewall rules that only permit traffic from the application server. This design minimizes exposure by enforcing least privilege and defense in depth, using network-layer segmentation rather than relying solely on host-based controls.

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.

✗
Place all three servers in the same server VLAN and use host-based firewalls to separate them.
Why it's wrong here
This reduces some risk, but all systems remain on the same network segment. A compromise of one host still leaves the others close by and increases lateral movement opportunities.
✓
Place the web server in a DMZ, the application server in an internal subnet, and the database in a separate restricted subnet with firewall rules between each tier.
Why this is correct
This is the strongest design because each tier is isolated according to exposure. The web server is the only internet-facing system, the application tier only receives approved traffic from the web tier, and the database is protected behind internal filtering. That layout limits attack paths and supports least privilege between network zones.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "least", "never" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Place the database in the DMZ so the web and application servers can access it directly without extra firewall rules.
Why it's wrong here
The database is the most sensitive tier and should not be exposed in the DMZ. This increases the blast radius if the perimeter-facing segment is compromised.
✗
Place the web server on the user VLAN and use NAT to hide the database server from the internet.
Why it's wrong here
NAT does not provide proper segmentation, and placing the web server on a user VLAN mixes public services with client devices. That weakens isolation and expands risk.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates may think host-based firewalls are sufficient for isolation (Option A) or that placing the database in the DMZ simplifies access (Option C), but the exam expects you to recognize that network segmentation with separate subnets and firewall rules is the most secure and least exposure approach for multi-tier applications.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

In a properly segmented DMZ architecture, the web server typically uses a public IP or NAT, while the application server and database reside on private RFC 1918 subnets. Firewall rules should be stateful, allowing only specific protocols (e.g., HTTPS from internet to web server, HTTP or API calls from web to app server, and SQL traffic from app to database) while denying all other inbound and outbound traffic by default. This aligns with the CompTIA SY0-701 objective on secure network architecture, emphasizing the use of DMZs, screened subnets, and multi-tier segmentation to reduce the blast radius of a breach.

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 security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.

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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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SY0-701 question test?

Security Architecture — This question tests Security Architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Place the web server in a DMZ, the application server in an internal subnet, and the database in a separate restricted subnet with firewall rules between each tier. — Option B is correct because it implements a classic three-tier architecture with network segmentation. The web server in the DMZ is isolated from internal networks but accessible from the internet, the application server in an internal subnet is protected by firewall rules that only allow traffic from the DMZ, and the database in a separate restricted subnet is further isolated with firewall rules that only permit traffic from the application server. This design minimizes exposure by enforcing least privilege and defense in depth, using network-layer segmentation rather than relying solely on host-based controls.

What should I do if I get this SY0-701 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: "best", "least", "never". 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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