- A
VPC Firewall rules
Why wrong: Firewall rules are network-layer, not application-layer.
- B
Identity-Aware Proxy
Why wrong: IAP handles authentication and authorization, not attack protection.
- C
Cloud Armor
Cloud Armor offers WAF capabilities including preconfigured rules for OWASP top 10.
- D
Cloud CDN
Why wrong: CDN accelerates content delivery but does not filter application attacks.
Question 272 of 1,000
Google PCA Design for security and compliance Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of design for security and compliance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 is using Cloud Load Balancing to expose a web application. They want to protect against common web attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. Which Google Cloud service should they configure?
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 the correct service because it provides Web Application Firewall (WAF) capabilities that can inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic and filter out common web attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). It integrates directly with Cloud Load Balancing to apply pre-configured or custom rules at the edge, blocking malicious requests before they reach the backend.
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.
- ✗
VPC Firewall rules
Why it's wrong here
Firewall rules are network-layer, not application-layer.
- ✗
Identity-Aware Proxy
Why it's wrong here
IAP handles authentication and authorization, not attack protection.
- ✓
Cloud Armor
Why this is correct
Cloud Armor offers WAF capabilities including preconfigured rules for OWASP top 10.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Cloud CDN
Why it's wrong here
CDN accelerates content delivery but does not filter application attacks.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing network-layer security (VPC Firewall rules) with application-layer security (Cloud Armor), leading candidates to pick VPC Firewall rules because they sound like a general security measure.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Armor uses a rules engine that supports both pre-configured rules (e.g., the OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set) and custom rules written in Common Expression Language (CEL). When a request matches a deny rule, Cloud Armor returns an HTTP 403 Forbidden response before the request reaches the load balancer, reducing backend load. In a real-world scenario, you can combine rate limiting with WAF rules to mitigate both application-layer attacks and DDoS attempts.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCA question test?
Design for security and compliance — This question tests Design for security and compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cloud Armor — Cloud Armor is the correct service because it provides Web Application Firewall (WAF) capabilities that can inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic and filter out common web attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). It integrates directly with Cloud Load Balancing to apply pre-configured or custom rules at the edge, blocking malicious requests before they reach the backend.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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