CCSP Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud platform and infrastructure security. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 financial services company is migrating its on-premises data center to a public cloud IaaS environment. During the transition, the security team must ensure that the same network segmentation and firewall rules are maintained. Which of the following is the BEST approach to replicate the on-premises network security controls in the cloud?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use virtual private clouds (VPCs) with subnets and security groups to enforce segmentation and firewall rules.
Option B is correct because VPCs with subnets and security groups provide native, software-defined network segmentation and stateful firewall rules that directly replicate on-premises network segmentation and ACLs. Security groups act as virtual firewalls at the instance level, while network ACLs provide subnet-level stateless filtering, together enabling granular control without extending the on-premises network.
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.
✗
Configure a site-to-site VPN between on-premises and cloud to extend the existing network.
Why it's wrong here
A VPN provides encrypted connectivity but does not enforce internal segmentation.
✓
Use virtual private clouds (VPCs) with subnets and security groups to enforce segmentation and firewall rules.
Why this is correct
VPCs and security groups directly replicate network segmentation and firewall controls.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Implement an intrusion detection and prevention system (IDPS) to monitor traffic.
Why it's wrong here
An IDPS detects/mitigates threats but does not provide network segmentation.
✗
Deploy a software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) to manage network traffic between cloud resources.
Why it's wrong here
SD-WAN optimizes WAN connectivity, not internal network segmentation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse extending the network via VPN (Option A) with replicating segmentation, not realizing that VPNs merge networks rather than isolating them, while VPCs provide the necessary logical isolation and granular firewall controls.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, VPCs use virtual routers and route tables to control traffic between subnets, while security groups are stateful and automatically allow return traffic, unlike on-premises stateless ACLs. In a real-world migration, security groups can be configured with allow rules based on source IP, port, and protocol, and can be attached to multiple instances, enabling consistent policy enforcement across auto-scaled workloads without reconfiguring physical firewalls.
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 security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
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.
Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security — This question tests Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use virtual private clouds (VPCs) with subnets and security groups to enforce segmentation and firewall rules. — Option B is correct because VPCs with subnets and security groups provide native, software-defined network segmentation and stateful firewall rules that directly replicate on-premises network segmentation and ACLs. Security groups act as virtual firewalls at the instance level, while network ACLs provide subnet-level stateless filtering, together enabling granular control without extending the on-premises network.
What should I do if I get this CCSP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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.
Question Discussion
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