Quick Answer
The answer is Cloud Armor, the Google Cloud service designed to protect HTTP(S) Load Balancers from common web attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). This is correct because Cloud Armor functions as a web application firewall (WAF), using preconfigured rules to inspect incoming HTTP(S) traffic and filter out malicious payloads before they reach backend instances. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this question tests your understanding of edge security integration, often appearing in scenarios where you must differentiate between network-level firewalls (like Cloud Firewall) and application-layer defenses. A common trap is confusing Cloud Armor with Cloud CDN or IAP, but remember that only Cloud Armor provides WAF rule sets for SQLi and XSS. Memory tip: think "Armor" for application-layer protection—it shields the load balancer from injection attacks at the edge.
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of configuring network security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 wants to protect its HTTP(S) Load Balancer from common web attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. Which Google Cloud service should they use?
Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)
Why wrong: IAP controls access to applications but does not inspect payloads for web attacks.
Cloud Armor
Cloud Armor offers WAF rules to block common web attacks.
VPC Service Controls
Why wrong: VPC Service Controls protect data exfiltration from Google-managed services.
Cloud CDN
Why wrong: Cloud CDN caches content but does not provide WAF.
Answer choices
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(S) traffic and filter out common web attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). It integrates directly with HTTP(S) Load Balancers to enforce security policies at the edge, blocking malicious requests before they reach backend instances.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)
Why it's wrong here
IAP controls access to applications but does not inspect payloads for web attacks.
Cloud Armor
Why this is correct
Cloud Armor offers WAF rules to block common web attacks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
VPC Service Controls
Why it's wrong here
VPC Service Controls protect data exfiltration from Google-managed services.
Cloud CDN
Why it's wrong here
Cloud CDN caches content but does not provide WAF.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse Cloud Armor with IAP because both involve security at the load balancer, but IAP handles authentication and authorization, not web application attack filtering.
Detailed technical explanation
Cloud Armor uses a set of preconfigured rules (e.g., the OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set) to detect and block SQL injection and XSS patterns by analyzing HTTP request headers, URI, and body. It also supports custom rules using Common Expression Language (CEL) to match on specific attributes like IP addresses, geographic regions, or request headers. In a real-world scenario, Cloud Armor can be combined with Cloud CDN to cache responses while still applying WAF rules at the edge, ensuring that cached content is not served to malicious users without inspection.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Configuring network security — This question tests Configuring network security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Cloud Armor — Cloud Armor is the correct service because it provides web application firewall (WAF) capabilities that can inspect HTTP(S) traffic and filter out common web attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). It integrates directly with HTTP(S) Load Balancers to enforce security policies at the edge, blocking malicious requests before they reach backend instances.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This PCSE 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 PCSE exam.
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