- A
An ingress allow rule for port 443 from 0.0.0.0/0 targeting the 'web-server' tag, relying on the implied deny for other traffic
GCP's implied deny-all ingress rule (priority 65535) blocks all traffic not explicitly allowed. A single allow rule for port 443 is all that's needed.
- B
An ingress allow rule for port 443 and a separate egress deny rule for all other ports
Why wrong: Egress rules control outbound traffic from instances — they don't affect inbound traffic from the internet. An egress deny would also break outbound connectivity.
- C
An ingress deny rule for all ports from 0.0.0.0/0, plus an ingress allow for port 443 with lower priority
Why wrong: An explicit ingress deny-all at a higher priority than the allow rule would override and block the allow — this configuration would break HTTPS access.
- D
A Cloud Armor policy allowing only HTTPS requests to port 443
Why wrong: Cloud Armor applies at the load balancer layer for L7 policy enforcement — it doesn't replace VPC firewall rules for controlling which ports are accessible to instances.
Quick Answer
The correct configuration is an ingress allow rule for TCP port 443 from 0.0.0.0/0 applied to instances tagged 'web-server', relying on the implied deny for all other traffic. This works because Google Cloud VPC firewall rules are stateful and include an implicit deny of last resort—any traffic not matched by an explicit allow rule is automatically blocked. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding that you do not need a separate deny rule; the implied deny handles blocking all other inbound traffic. A common trap is thinking you must create a lower-priority deny rule, but that is unnecessary and can cause confusion. Remember the key principle: in Google Cloud, you only write allow rules; the default stance is deny-all. A useful memory tip is "Allow what you need, deny is already there"—focus solely on crafting precise allow rules with tags and source ranges.
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 team wants to allow inbound HTTPS traffic (TCP port 443) from the internet to instances tagged 'web-server', while blocking all other inbound traffic. What firewall configuration achieves this?
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
An ingress allow rule for port 443 from 0.0.0.0/0 targeting the 'web-server' tag, relying on the implied deny for other traffic
Option A is correct because Google Cloud VPC firewall rules are stateful and have an implicit deny for all traffic that is not explicitly allowed. An ingress allow rule for TCP port 443 from 0.0.0.0/0 applied to instances with the 'web-server' tag permits inbound HTTPS traffic, and the implicit deny blocks all other inbound traffic without needing additional rules.
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.
- ✓
An ingress allow rule for port 443 from 0.0.0.0/0 targeting the 'web-server' tag, relying on the implied deny for other traffic
Why this is correct
GCP's implied deny-all ingress rule (priority 65535) blocks all traffic not explicitly allowed. A single allow rule for port 443 is all that's needed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
An ingress allow rule for port 443 and a separate egress deny rule for all other ports
Why it's wrong here
Egress rules control outbound traffic from instances — they don't affect inbound traffic from the internet. An egress deny would also break outbound connectivity.
- ✗
An ingress deny rule for all ports from 0.0.0.0/0, plus an ingress allow for port 443 with lower priority
Why it's wrong here
An explicit ingress deny-all at a higher priority than the allow rule would override and block the allow — this configuration would break HTTPS access.
- ✗
A Cloud Armor policy allowing only HTTPS requests to port 443
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Armor applies at the load balancer layer for L7 policy enforcement — it doesn't replace VPC firewall rules for controlling which ports are accessible to instances.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that you need explicit deny rules or that egress rules affect inbound traffic, but the key trap here is that candidates may think they need to add a deny rule for other ports, not realizing the implicit deny already blocks everything not allowed.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Google Cloud VPC firewall rules are stateful, meaning that if you allow inbound traffic, the corresponding outbound response traffic is automatically allowed, regardless of egress rules. The implicit deny is a default rule that blocks all traffic not explicitly allowed, and it cannot be removed or overridden. In a real-world scenario, you might also need to allow ICMP for troubleshooting, but the question specifically asks for blocking all other inbound traffic, which the implicit deny handles.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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: An ingress allow rule for port 443 from 0.0.0.0/0 targeting the 'web-server' tag, relying on the implied deny for other traffic — Option A is correct because Google Cloud VPC firewall rules are stateful and have an implicit deny for all traffic that is not explicitly allowed. An ingress allow rule for TCP port 443 from 0.0.0.0/0 applied to instances with the 'web-server' tag permits inbound HTTPS traffic, and the implicit deny blocks all other inbound traffic without needing additional rules.
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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