CCSP Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security Practice Question
An organization exposes an API via Amazon API Gateway. They need to protect against common web exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. Which integration should they enable?
⚠ Common exam trap
CCSP often tests the layer at which security controls operate; candidates may choose network-layer controls (security groups, NACLs) for application-layer threats, confusing the OSI model 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
✓
AWS WAF
AWS WAF is a web application firewall that integrates with Amazon API Gateway to protect against common web exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. It inspects incoming HTTP/HTTPS requests and applies rules to block malicious traffic. Enabling AWS WAF on the API Gateway stage provides the required protection.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
IAM policies
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies authorise which principals may invoke the API; they evaluate identity and resource permissions, not HTTP payload content, so SQL injection strings and script tags pass through untouched. They are tempting because they are the default access-control mechanism on API Gateway, and would be correct for restricting who can call the API.
- ✗
Security groups on the API Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Security groups operate at layer 3/4 on ENIs, filtering IP addresses, ports and protocols; they cannot inspect HTTP request bodies for injection or scripting payloads. They are tempting because they secure the underlying network path, and would be correct for limiting which source CIDRs may reach the API Gateway endpoint.
- ✓
AWS WAF
Why this is correct
AWS WAF attaches to API Gateway stages and inspects HTTP requests against managed or custom rules, blocking SQL injection and cross-site scripting payloads before they reach the backend. This satisfies the requirement to protect the exposed API against common web exploits.
- ✗
Network ACLs on the VPC
Why it's wrong here
Network ACLs are stateless subnet-level filters matching IP, port and protocol only; they never parse HTTP content, so injection and XSS payloads traverse them. They are tempting because they provide a coarse perimeter control, and would be correct for blocking specific hostile source addresses at the subnet boundary.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This CCSP question is part of Courseiva's 934-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.