NetSec-Architect Practice Question: Multi Cloud And Hybrid Network Security Architecture
An organization is building a multi-cloud network spanning AWS and GCP. They want to establish a secure, encrypted transit backbone between AWS VPCs and GCP VPCs using Palo Alto Networks VM-Series firewalls as IPsec termination points. Which protocol combination must be configured on the IPsec crypto profile for interoperability between AWS and GCP?
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
✓
IKEv2 with AES-256-GCM encryption
Interoperability between AWS Virtual Private Gateways/VM-Series and GCP VPN gateways requires standard IPsec settings, such as IKEv2, AES-GCM or AES-CBC for encryption, and SHA-256 for integrity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
IKEv1 with DES encryption and MD5 integrity
Why it's wrong here
DES and MD5 are deprecated, insecure, and often rejected by modern cloud gateways.
- ✗
PPTP with Microsoft Point-to-Point Encryption
Why it's wrong here
PPTP is an obsolete and insecure tunneling protocol.
- ✗
SSL/TLS version 1.0 with RC4-MD5 ciphers
Why it's wrong here
SSL/TLS 1.0 is used for web traffic, not IPsec site-to-site VPN tunnels.
- ✓
IKEv2 with AES-256-GCM encryption
Why this is correct
IKEv2 combined with AES-GCM provides high-performance, secure IPsec tunneling between cloud providers.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
About these practice questions
One of 228 original NetSec-Architect practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official Palo Alto Networks exam blueprint
This NetSec-Architect practice question is part of Courseiva's free Palo Alto Networks 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 NetSec-Architect exam.