CCSP Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud platform and infrastructure 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 financial services firm uses a hybrid cloud architecture with a VPN connection to AWS. They need to comply with PCI DSS requirements for network segmentation. Which design is best?
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
✓
Implement a DMZ with a firewall appliance in a transit VPC.
Option B is correct because a DMZ with a firewall appliance in a transit VPC provides a controlled, inspectable boundary between the on-premises network and AWS, enabling network segmentation that meets PCI DSS Requirement 1 (firewall configuration) and Requirement 1.3 (DMZ to isolate cardholder data from untrusted networks). The transit VPC design allows centralized egress/ingress inspection and prevents direct lateral movement between environments, which is critical for compliance.
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.
✗
Use AWS Direct Connect with multiple VLANs to separate traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Direct Connect is for connectivity, not network segmentation within AWS.
✓
Implement a DMZ with a firewall appliance in a transit VPC.
Why this is correct
A transit VPC with firewall enforces segmentation and inspection, compliant with PCI DSS.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create separate VPCs for cardholder data and corporate systems, connected via VPC peering.
Why it's wrong here
Separate VPCs provide isolation but lack a central inspection point.
✗
Use a single VPC with security groups to isolate workloads.
Why it's wrong here
Security groups provide host-level filtering but not full network segmentation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse VPC peering or security groups as sufficient for network segmentation, but PCI DSS requires a DMZ with a firewall appliance to enforce a clear security boundary, not just logical isolation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a transit VPC architecture uses a hub-and-spoke model where a centralized VPC (the transit VPC) hosts firewall appliances (e.g., Palo Alto Networks VM-Series or AWS Network Firewall) that perform stateful inspection, NAT, and traffic logging. This design aligns with PCI DSS Requirement 1.3.2, which mandates that inbound and outbound traffic to the cardholder data environment must be restricted via a DMZ, and the firewall rules must be reviewed every six months. In a real-world scenario, a financial firm might use AWS Transit Gateway to connect multiple VPCs and on-premises networks, but without a firewall in the transit VPC, the traffic would bypass inspection, failing audit.
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: Implement a DMZ with a firewall appliance in a transit VPC. — Option B is correct because a DMZ with a firewall appliance in a transit VPC provides a controlled, inspectable boundary between the on-premises network and AWS, enabling network segmentation that meets PCI DSS Requirement 1 (firewall configuration) and Requirement 1.3 (DMZ to isolate cardholder data from untrusted networks). The transit VPC design allows centralized egress/ingress inspection and prevents direct lateral movement between environments, which is critical for compliance.
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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