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ISC2 CC Practice Question: Wants to implement defense in depth for its web…
An organization wants to implement defense in depth for its web application. Which combination of controls best illustrates this principle?
⚠ Common exam trap
CC often tests the confusion between a single strong control and multiple layered controls; candidates must recognize that defense in depth requires diversity of controls across layers.
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
✓
A firewall, intrusion detection system, and regular security awareness training.
Defense in depth involves multiple layers of security controls so that if one fails, others still protect the asset. A firewall, IDS, and security awareness training represent network, host, and human layers, respectively, illustrating the principle.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
A strict perimeter firewall without internal controls.
Why it's wrong here
A perimeter firewall filters external traffic but provides no internal segmentation, host hardening or application-layer inspection, so a single breach bypasses everything. It is tempting because a strict perimeter firewall is correct when the requirement is simply blocking untrusted inbound network traffic at the network boundary.
- ✗
Encryption at rest only.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption at rest protects stored data only; it leaves network, application and identity layers undefended, so no depth exists. It is tempting because encryption at rest is the right control when the requirement is protecting data on compromised or stolen storage media, not building overlapping defensive layers.
- ✓
A firewall, intrusion detection system, and regular security awareness training.
Why this is correct
Layering a network perimeter control, a detection mechanism, and a human-focused control spans preventive, detective, and administrative domains. This diversity means no single failure exposes the application, which is precisely the layered redundancy defence in depth requires.
- ✗
A single strong password policy.
Why it's wrong here
A password policy is a single authentication control, so it provides no layered protection across network, application or data tiers. It is tempting because strong credential rules genuinely harden identity, and would suit a scenario focused solely on preventing brute-force or credential-stuffing attacks against user accounts.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Network Security Components and Controls
Key term
Organization
An Organization is a top-level container in Google Cloud that represents your company or entities and serves as the root node for all your cloud resources, policies, and access control.
Key term
Firewall
A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic based on predetermined security rules to protect trusted internal networks from untrusted external networks.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.