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SSCP Practice Question: A company implements a DMZ to host public services
A company implements a DMZ to host public services. Which of the following is the best practice for securing the DMZ?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse the DMZ's placement (thinking it should be behind the internal firewall for extra protection) with the need for separate rule sets, but the correct placement is between two firewalls (or a single firewall with three interfaces) with distinct inbound and outbound rules to enforce isolation.
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
✓
Use separate firewall rules for inbound and outbound traffic
DMZ security relies on strict separation of inbound and outbound traffic rules. Inbound rules should permit only necessary traffic (e.g., HTTP/HTTPS to web servers) from the internet to the DMZ, while outbound rules should restrict DMZ-initiated connections to the internal network, typically allowing only established sessions or specific protocols. This prevents an attacker who compromises a DMZ host from using it as a pivot to access internal resources.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Allow all traffic from the internet to the DMZ
Why it's wrong here
Permitting all inbound internet traffic exposes every DMZ host to scanning and exploitation, defeating the purpose of segmenting public services. It is tempting because DMZ hosts must remain reachable from the internet, but best practice restricts inbound flows to only the specific ports and protocols each published service requires.
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Disable logging on DMZ firewalls
Why it's wrong here
Disabling logging removes the audit trail needed to detect intrusions against internet-facing services, directly undermining DMZ monitoring. Logging is instead tuned and retained centrally. It is tempting because verbose firewall logs consume storage and add overhead, so teams disable them for performance — acceptable only on isolated lab segments with no exposure.
- ✓
Use separate firewall rules for inbound and outbound traffic
Why this is correct
Separate inbound and outbound rules enforce stateful inspection and least-privilege filtering on DMZ traffic, preventing compromised public hosts from initiating unrestricted outbound connections. This satisfies the stem's best-practice requirement by containing breaches rather than relying on a single permissive rule set.
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Place the DMZ behind the internal firewall
Why it's wrong here
Placing the DMZ behind the internal firewall leaves public-facing hosts on the trusted network side, so a compromised service sits adjacent to internal systems. It is tempting because it appears to add protection, but the DMZ belongs between two firewalls, with the external firewall facing the internet and the internal firewall guarding the trusted LAN.
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Use the same subnet for DMZ and internal network
Why it's wrong here
Sharing one subnet lets a compromised public host reach internal systems directly, defeating DMZ segmentation, which requires distinct subnets separated by firewalls. It is tempting because a single subnet simplifies routing and reduces address planning effort — valid only in flat lab or home networks with no untrusted exposure.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SSCP 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 SSCP exam.