Quick Answer
The answer is Network Security Group (NSG) and Azure Firewall. NSGs filter inbound internet traffic at the subnet or network interface level using stateful rules, while Azure Firewall provides centralized, enterprise-grade filtering with threat intelligence and application rules across the virtual network. On the Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate AZ-500 exam, this tests your ability to distinguish between network-layer controls and other Azure services; a common trap is confusing Azure Front Door (a global load balancer) or VPN Gateway (encryption only) with filtering tools. Remember that NSGs are your first line of defense for granular traffic control, while Azure Firewall handles broader policy enforcement and logging. A useful memory tip: think “NSG for the neighborhood, Firewall for the whole city” — NSGs protect specific subnets or NICs, whereas Azure Firewall secures the entire virtual network perimeter.
This AZ-500 practice question tests your understanding of secure networking. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Which TWO Azure services can be used to filter inbound internet traffic to a virtual network? (Choose two.)
Azure Firewall
Stateful firewall for inbound and outbound traffic.
Azure Bastion
Why wrong: Provides secure RDP/SSH access, not traffic filtering.
Azure Front Door
Why wrong: Global load balancer, not a firewall.
Network security group (NSG)
Filters inbound and outbound traffic at the subnet or NIC level.
VPN gateway
Why wrong: Encrypts traffic but does not filter.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Azure Firewall
Options A and C are correct. NSGs filter traffic at the subnet/NIC level. Azure Firewall provides centralized filtering. Option B is wrong because Azure Front Door is a global load balancer. Option D is wrong because VPN gateway encrypts traffic but does not filter. Option E is wrong because Azure Bastion is a jump server.
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
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Azure Firewall
Azure Bastion
Why it's wrong here
Provides secure RDP/SSH access, not traffic filtering.
Azure Front Door
Why it's wrong here
Global load balancer, not a firewall.
Network security group (NSG)
Why this is correct
Filters inbound and outbound traffic at the subnet or NIC level.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
VPN gateway
Why it's wrong here
Encrypts traffic but does not filter.
Common exam traps
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
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.
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
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
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.
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FAQ
Secure networking — This question tests Secure networking — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
The correct answer is: Azure Firewall — Options A and C are correct. NSGs filter traffic at the subnet/NIC level. Azure Firewall provides centralized filtering. Option B is wrong because Azure Front Door is a global load balancer. Option D is wrong because VPN gateway encrypts traffic but does not filter. Option E is wrong because Azure Bastion is a jump server.
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.
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
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Same concept, more angles
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. You need to block inbound traffic from the internet to a specific subnet except for TCP port 443. Which Azure service should you use?
easyWhy C: Option A is correct because NSGs can have inbound rules to allow or deny traffic by port. Option B is wrong because Azure Firewall is a network/application firewall but NSGs are simpler for subnet-level filtering. Option C is wrong because WAF is for HTTP/HTTPS at the application layer. Option D is wrong because DDoS Protection does not filter by port.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This AZ-500 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft 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 AZ-500 exam.
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