- A
VPC firewall rules with deny rules for known attacker IPs
Why wrong: VPC firewall rules block traffic by IP/port but cannot inspect HTTP payload content for SQL injection — and IP-based blocking is ineffective against distributed DDoS attacks.
- B
Cloud NAT to hide backend IP addresses
Why wrong: Cloud NAT manages outbound connectivity from private VMs — it doesn't protect public-facing endpoints from attacks.
- C
Cloud Armor security policies on the load balancer
Cloud Armor provides both volumetric DDoS protection at Google's global edge and WAF rules (including preconfigured OWASP protection for SQL injection) — addressing both attack types from a single service.
- D
Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) to require authentication before accessing the API
Why wrong: IAP enforces identity-based access control — it's not designed to defend against DDoS or to inspect request payloads for injection attacks.
Quick Answer
The answer is Cloud Armor security policies on the load balancer. This is the correct choice because Cloud Armor, when attached to a Google Cloud HTTPS Load Balancer, provides a single, unified service for both GCP DDoS and SQL injection protection. It uses pre-configured WAF rules, such as the modsecurity-crs rule set, to inspect HTTP request parameters and block SQL injection attempts, while simultaneously defending against volumetric DDoS attacks through rate limiting and adaptive protection. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this question tests your understanding that Cloud Armor is the only service that combines Layer 7 DDoS defense with web application firewall capabilities, making it a common trap to confuse it with separate services like Cloud CDN or IAP. A helpful memory tip: think of Cloud Armor as the "shield and scalpel"—it absorbs the brute force of a DDoS flood while surgically removing malicious SQL injection payloads from your traffic.
Google ACE Configuring access and security Practice Question
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of configuring access and security. 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 public API receives global traffic but has been targeted by both volumetric DDoS attacks and SQL injection attempts in HTTP request parameters. Which single GCP service provides protection against both threats?
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 security policies on the load balancer
Cloud Armor security policies, when attached to a Google Cloud HTTPS Load Balancer, provide both Layer 7 DDoS protection (via pre-configured WAF rules like 'modsecurity-crs' to block SQL injection) and volumetric DDoS defense (via rate limiting and adaptive protection). This makes it the single GCP service that directly addresses both threats mentioned in the question.
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 with deny rules for known attacker IPs
- ✗
Cloud NAT to hide backend IP addresses
Why it's wrong here
Cloud NAT manages outbound connectivity from private VMs — it doesn't protect public-facing endpoints from attacks.
- ✓
Cloud Armor security policies on the load balancer
Why this is correct
Cloud Armor provides both volumetric DDoS protection at Google's global edge and WAF rules (including preconfigured OWASP protection for SQL injection) — addressing both attack types from a single service.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) to require authentication before accessing the API
Why it's wrong here
IAP enforces identity-based access control — it's not designed to defend against DDoS or to inspect request payloads for injection attacks.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between network-layer security (VPC firewall rules) and application-layer security (Cloud Armor WAF), leading candidates to mistakenly choose VPC firewall rules because they think 'deny rules' can block attacks, but they cannot inspect HTTP payloads for SQL injection.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Armor uses a Web Application Firewall (WAF) engine that evaluates HTTP(S) requests against pre-configured rules, such as the OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set (CRS), which includes specific regex patterns to detect SQL injection attempts like 'OR 1=1' or 'UNION SELECT'. For volumetric DDoS, Cloud Armor's adaptive protection leverages machine learning to baseline traffic and automatically enforce rate limiting or block anomalous spikes, while also integrating with Google's global infrastructure to absorb large-scale attacks at the edge.
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.
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.
- →
Configuring access and security — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Configuring access and security practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All ACE questions
500 questions across all exam domains
- →
Google Associate Cloud Engineer study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
ACE practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related ACE practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Setting up a cloud solution environment practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Setting up a cloud solution environment.
Planning and configuring a cloud solution practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Planning and configuring a cloud solution.
Deploying and implementing a cloud solution practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Deploying and implementing a cloud solution.
Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution.
Configuring access and security practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Configuring access and security.
ACE fundamentals practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to ACE fundamentals.
ACE scenario practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to ACE scenario.
ACE troubleshooting practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to ACE troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free ACE practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ACE question test?
Configuring access and security — This question tests Configuring access and security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cloud Armor security policies on the load balancer — Cloud Armor security policies, when attached to a Google Cloud HTTPS Load Balancer, provide both Layer 7 DDoS protection (via pre-configured WAF rules like 'modsecurity-crs' to block SQL injection) and volumetric DDoS defense (via rate limiting and adaptive protection). This makes it the single GCP service that directly addresses both threats mentioned in the question.
What should I do if I get this ACE 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.