CCSP Cloud Security Operations Practice Question
A cloud operations team is deploying a new web application on Google Cloud Platform (GCP). They need to ensure that all incoming traffic to their Compute Engine instances is inspected for common web attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting. They also want to minimize latency and management overhead. Which GCP service should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse network-level security services like Cloud IDS or access control services like IAP with a web application firewall, which operates at the application layer.
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
Cloud Armor is the GCP service designed to protect web applications from application-layer attacks. It provides WAF rules that can block SQL injection and XSS, and it integrates with load balancing to inspect traffic at the edge. This minimizes latency and is fully managed, meeting the requirements for security and low overhead.
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 Service Controls
Why it's wrong here
VPC Service Controls create security perimeters around GCP services to mitigate data exfiltration. They do not inspect incoming web traffic for application-layer attacks. They operate at the API level, not the HTTP/HTTPS layer, and are not designed to block SQL injection or XSS. Using them would not meet the requirement for web attack inspection.
- ✓
Cloud Armor
Why this is correct
Cloud Armor is GCP's web application firewall (WAF) and DDoS protection service. It provides preconfigured WAF rules to mitigate OWASP Top 10 risks like SQL injection and XSS. It integrates with HTTP(S) load balancing, inspecting traffic at the edge, which minimizes latency. It is fully managed, reducing operational overhead.
- ✗
Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)
Why it's wrong here
IAP controls access to applications based on identity and context, acting as an authentication layer. It does not inspect traffic for web attacks like SQL injection or XSS. While it can protect against unauthorized access, it is not a WAF and does not provide the required application-layer threat mitigation. It also may add latency due to authentication checks.
- ✗
Cloud IDS
Why it's wrong here
Cloud IDS is a managed intrusion detection service that inspects traffic for network threats and malware, but it focuses on north-south traffic at the network layer. It does not provide web application firewall capabilities to block SQL injection or XSS. It also requires deployment of a third-party next-generation firewall appliance, adding management overhead and potential latency.
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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 CCSP 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 CCSP exam.