PCNE Configuring Network Services Practice Question
A gaming company uses Cloud Armor with an external HTTP(S) load balancer to protect against DDoS attacks. They need to restrict access to the load balancer based on geographic region. What should they configure?
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between Cloud Armor's security policies (which include geo-match rules) and backend service routing policies, leading candidates to confuse geo-based routing with geo-based access control.
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
✓
Geo-match custom rule in Cloud Armor
Cloud Armor supports geo-match custom rules that allow you to allow or deny traffic based on the geographic region of the client IP address. When attached to an external HTTP(S) load balancer, these rules are evaluated at the edge before traffic reaches the backend, providing effective geo-based access control against DDoS attacks.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Geo-based routing policy on the backend service
Why it's wrong here
Routing policies direct traffic to different backends but do not enforce access control.
- ✗
A firewall rule that blocks IPs from certain countries
Why it's wrong here
Firewall rules apply to backend instances, not to the load balancer directly, and require maintaining IP lists.
- ✓
Geo-match custom rule in Cloud Armor
Why this is correct
Cloud Armor rules can filter traffic based on geographic region (e.g., country or continent).
- ✗
Use Cloud CDN with geo filtering
Why it's wrong here
Cloud CDN's geo filtering is for content access, not for security policy at the load balancer.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCNE 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 PCNE exam.