- A
Cloud Firewall (VPC firewall rules)
Why wrong: VPC firewall rules control network-level access (ports, IPs, protocols) but do not inspect HTTP request content for application-layer attacks like SQL injection or XSS.
- B
Cloud Armor WAF with preconfigured OWASP Core Rule Set
Cloud Armor's WAF feature includes preconfigured rules for OWASP Top 10 attacks. These rules inspect HTTP request content and block malicious patterns at the load balancer edge.
- C
Security Command Center's Web Security Scanner
Why wrong: Web Security Scanner actively scans your application for vulnerabilities (penetration testing tool) — it doesn't provide runtime protection against incoming attacks.
- D
Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)
Why wrong: IAP enforces authentication and authorization for access to applications — it's an identity gate, not a WAF. It doesn't inspect for SQL injection or XSS patterns.
Quick Answer
The answer is Cloud Armor WAF with the preconfigured OWASP Core Rule Set, because it provides edge-based inspection of HTTP/HTTPS traffic against a curated set of rules specifically designed to block SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other OWASP Top 10 attack patterns before they reach your backend. This service integrates directly with Cloud Load Balancing, allowing you to filter malicious requests at Google’s network edge, which is exactly what the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam tests when asking about protecting internet-facing applications from web application attacks. A common trap on the exam is confusing Cloud Armor with Cloud CDN or Cloud IAP—remember that Cloud Armor is the dedicated WAF with prebuilt rule sets, while the others handle caching or identity-based access. Memory tip: Armor blocks attacks, so think “Armor = WAF = OWASP CRS” for SQLi and XSS.
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.
Which GCP service protects internet-facing applications against SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other OWASP Top 10 attacks?
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 WAF with preconfigured OWASP Core Rule Set
Cloud Armor WAF with the preconfigured OWASP Core Rule Set (CRS) is specifically designed to protect internet-facing applications from web application attacks, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other OWASP Top 10 threats. It operates at the edge of Google's network, inspecting HTTP/HTTPS traffic against a set of rules that match known attack patterns, and can be integrated with Cloud Load Balancing to filter 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.
- ✗
Cloud Firewall (VPC firewall rules)
- ✓
Cloud Armor WAF with preconfigured OWASP Core Rule Set
Why this is correct
Cloud Armor's WAF feature includes preconfigured rules for OWASP Top 10 attacks. These rules inspect HTTP request content and block malicious patterns at the load balancer edge.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Security Command Center's Web Security Scanner
Why it's wrong here
Web Security Scanner actively scans your application for vulnerabilities (penetration testing tool) — it doesn't provide runtime protection against incoming attacks.
- ✗
Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)
Why it's wrong here
IAP enforces authentication and authorization for access to applications — it's an identity gate, not a WAF. It doesn't inspect for SQL injection or XSS patterns.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between a WAF that inspects application-layer payloads (Cloud Armor) and network-layer firewalls (VPC firewall rules) or identity-based access controls (IAP), leading candidates to confuse perimeter security with application-layer protection.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Armor WAF uses a rules engine that evaluates each request against the OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set (CRS), which includes specific rule IDs for SQLi (e.g., rule 942100) and XSS (e.g., rule 941100). It can be configured in 'preview' mode to log violations without blocking, or in 'enforce' mode to deny requests, and supports custom rules for fine-grained control. In a real-world scenario, a misconfigured rule might block legitimate traffic with special characters (e.g., an apostrophe in a name), requiring careful tuning of the CRS paranoia level (1-4) to balance security and usability.
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.
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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 WAF with preconfigured OWASP Core Rule Set — Cloud Armor WAF with the preconfigured OWASP Core Rule Set (CRS) is specifically designed to protect internet-facing applications from web application attacks, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other OWASP Top 10 threats. It operates at the edge of Google's network, inspecting HTTP/HTTPS traffic against a set of rules that match known attack patterns, and can be integrated with Cloud Load Balancing to filter malicious requests before they reach the backend.
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.
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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.
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