Question 471 of 504

Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct architecture places the web tier in a public subnet with a security group allowing HTTP/HTTPS from 0.0.0.0/0, and the app and database tiers in private subnets with security groups that only permit traffic from the web tier’s security group. This implements defense-in-depth by enforcing multi-tier application network segmentation, ensuring that even if the web server is compromised, the attacker cannot directly reach the database because the database security group explicitly denies traffic from any source other than the web tier’s security group, and the private subnets lack a direct internet route. On the Certified Cloud Security Professional CCSP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how security groups act as stateful, host-level firewalls to enforce least-privilege segmentation between tiers, a core concept in cloud network security. A common trap is assuming that placing all tiers in private subnets is sufficient, but the key is referencing the web tier’s security group as the source, not just the subnet CIDR. Memory tip: think “public web, private app, group-to-group only” to avoid direct IP-based rules.

CCSP Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security Practice Question

This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud platform and infrastructure security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 cloud architect is designing a multi-tier application in a public cloud. The web tier must be accessible from the internet, while the application and database tiers must only be reachable from the web tier. The architect needs to ensure that even if the web server is compromised, the attacker cannot directly access the database. Which architecture BEST meets this requirement?

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.

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
Place all tiers in the same subnet and use a single security group to control inbound traffic.
Why wrong: This allows direct access between tiers if the security group allows it, compromising isolation.
B
Place all tiers in the same VPC but different subnets, and use network ACLs to restrict traffic.
Why wrong: Network ACLs are stateless and less granular; security groups are preferred for instance-level control.
C
Place the web tier in a public subnet with a security group allowing HTTP/HTTPS from 0.0.0.0/0, and place the app and database tiers in private subnets with security groups allowing traffic only from the web tier's security group.
This provides proper isolation: private subnets with security group references restrict access to the web tier only.
D
Use a VPN to connect the tiers and rely on IPsec policies for segmentation.
Why wrong: VPNs provide encrypted tunnels but are not designed for internal segmentation.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Place the web tier in a public subnet with a security group allowing HTTP/HTTPS from 0.0.0.0/0, and place the app and database tiers in private subnets with security groups allowing traffic only from the web tier's security group.

Option C is correct because it implements defense-in-depth by placing the web tier in a public subnet with a security group that allows inbound HTTP/HTTPS from the internet, while the app and database tiers reside in private subnets with security groups that only permit traffic from the web tier's security group. This ensures that even if the web server is compromised, the attacker cannot directly reach the database because the database security group explicitly denies traffic from any source other than the web tier's security group, and the private subnets have no direct internet route.

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.

✗
Place all tiers in the same subnet and use a single security group to control inbound traffic.
Why it's wrong here
This allows direct access between tiers if the security group allows it, compromising isolation.
✗
Place all tiers in the same VPC but different subnets, and use network ACLs to restrict traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Network ACLs are stateless and less granular; security groups are preferred for instance-level control.
✓
Place the web tier in a public subnet with a security group allowing HTTP/HTTPS from 0.0.0.0/0, and place the app and database tiers in private subnets with security groups allowing traffic only from the web tier's security group.
Why this is correct
This provides proper isolation: private subnets with security group references restrict access to the web tier only.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use a VPN to connect the tiers and rely on IPsec policies for segmentation.
Why it's wrong here
VPNs provide encrypted tunnels but are not designed for internal segmentation.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often confuse network ACLs (stateless, IP-based) with security groups (stateful, can reference other security groups), leading them to choose Option B because they think ACLs provide sufficient segmentation, but they overlook the need for group-based source references to prevent lateral movement from a compromised host.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

In AWS, security groups act as stateful virtual firewalls that can reference other security groups as sources, enabling micro-segmentation at the instance level. This allows the database security group to allow inbound traffic only from the web tier's security group ID, which automatically adapts as web instances scale up or down. In contrast, network ACLs are stateless and require explicit allow rules for both inbound and outbound traffic, and they cannot reference security groups, making them less suitable for this use case. This pattern is often called 'security group chaining' and is a key technique for implementing least-privilege network access in cloud environments.

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.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this CCSP question test?

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: Place the web tier in a public subnet with a security group allowing HTTP/HTTPS from 0.0.0.0/0, and place the app and database tiers in private subnets with security groups allowing traffic only from the web tier's security group. — Option C is correct because it implements defense-in-depth by placing the web tier in a public subnet with a security group that allows inbound HTTP/HTTPS from the internet, while the app and database tiers reside in private subnets with security groups that only permit traffic from the web tier's security group. This ensures that even if the web server is compromised, the attacker cannot directly reach the database because the database security group explicitly denies traffic from any source other than the web tier's security group, and the private subnets have no direct internet route.

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.

About these practice questions

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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on CCSP

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. 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?

easy

A.Configure a site-to-site VPN between on-premises and cloud to extend the existing network.
✓ B.Use virtual private clouds (VPCs) with subnets and security groups to enforce segmentation and firewall rules.
C.Implement an intrusion detection and prevention system (IDPS) to monitor traffic.
D.Deploy a software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) to manage network traffic between cloud resources.

Why B: 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.

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