The correct answer is to add an inbound security rule in the Network Security Group (NSG) to allow HTTP traffic. This is because an NSG acts as a virtual firewall, filtering traffic at the subnet or network interface level, and a simple inbound rule with port 80 and protocol TCP is all that is required to permit HTTP from the internet to your Azure VM. On the Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate AZ-500 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of NSG rule priority and the principle of least privilege—common traps include overcomplicating the solution by choosing Azure Firewall or Traffic Manager, which are unnecessary for a single port rule. Remember that NSGs are the first line of defense for network traffic control in Azure, and they are applied directly to subnets or NICs without additional services. A helpful memory tip is "NSG for single service, Firewall for full mesh"—if you only need to allow HTTP to one VM, stick with the NSG.
AZ-500 Secure networking Practice Question
This AZ-500 practice question tests your understanding of secure networking. 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.
You need to allow inbound HTTP traffic from the internet to a specific VM in a VNet. The VM is in a subnet with an NSG. What is the correct way to configure access?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add an inbound security rule in the NSG to allow HTTP traffic.
Option C is correct because NSGs can be applied to subnets or NICs to allow inbound traffic. Option A is wrong because Azure Firewall is not needed for a single rule. Option B is wrong because Azure DDoS Protection is for mitigating DDoS attacks. Option D is wrong because Azure Traffic Manager is for DNS-based traffic routing.
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Add a rule in Azure Firewall to allow HTTP traffic to the VM.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Firewall is unnecessary for a simple inbound rule.
✗
Enable Azure DDoS Protection on the VNet.
Why it's wrong here
DDoS Protection does not allow traffic.
✗
Configure Azure Traffic Manager to route traffic to the VM.
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
→Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
→Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
→Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-500 question in full detail.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related AZ-500 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
Secure networking — This question tests Secure networking — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add an inbound security rule in the NSG to allow HTTP traffic. — Option C is correct because NSGs can be applied to subnets or NICs to allow inbound traffic. Option A is wrong because Azure Firewall is not needed for a single rule. Option B is wrong because Azure DDoS Protection is for mitigating DDoS attacks. Option D is wrong because Azure Traffic Manager is for DNS-based traffic routing.
What should I do if I get this AZ-500 question wrong?
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related AZ-500 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
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