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Google ACE Practice Question: Deploying a public-facing web application on…
A company is deploying a public-facing web application on Compute Engine behind a global HTTP(S) Load Balancer. The company wants to protect the application from common web attacks, such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). Which Google Cloud security service should they enable?
⚠ Common exam trap
ACE often tests the difference between Cloud Armor (L7 WAF for web attacks) and Cloud IDS (L3/L4 network intrusion detection) — candidates pick Cloud IDS because it sounds like it 'detects attacks,' but the requirement is to block SQLi/XSS at the application layer.
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
✓
Cloud Armor
Cloud Armor is Google Cloud's web application firewall (WAF) and DDoS protection service that integrates with global external HTTP(S) Load Balancers. It provides preconfigured WAF rules based on the OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set to block SQL injection, XSS, and other common attacks, plus custom rules and adaptive protection. Enabling Cloud Armor on the load balancer's backend service is the correct way to filter malicious HTTP traffic.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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VPC Service Controls
Why it's wrong here
VPC Service Controls build a perimeter around Google Cloud APIs to prevent data exfiltration, operating at the service boundary rather than inspecting HTTP payloads. Cloud Armor, attached to the load balancer, filters SQL injection and XSS at layer 7.
- ✓
Cloud Armor
Why this is correct
Cloud Armor provides edge security policies on the global HTTP(S) Load Balancer, with preconfigured WAF rules that block SQL injection and XSS at layer 7. It satisfies the requirement to filter common web attacks before traffic reaches the Compute Engine backends.
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Cloud IDS
Why it's wrong here
Cloud IDS inspects traffic for intrusion and malware signatures at the network level; it does not parse HTTP requests to block SQL injection or XSS. Cloud Armor's WAF rules on the load balancer are the correct control for those application-layer attacks.
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Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Why it's wrong here
IAM governs authentication and authorisation for identities accessing resources; it cannot inspect request content, so it cannot detect SQL injection or XSS payloads. Cloud Armor security policies on the HTTP(S) Load Balancer provide that layer-7 filtering.
Go deeper
Related to this question
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Cloud Run and App Engine
Key term
HTTP(S) Load Balancer
A network device or software that distributes incoming web traffic across multiple servers using HTTP or HTTPS protocols to ensure high availability, reliability, and performance.
Key term
Google Cloud
Google Cloud is a suite of cloud computing services offered by Google that provides infrastructure, platform, and software solutions over the internet.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Google Cloud exam blueprint
This ACE practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud 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 ACE exam.