- A
Deploy a VPN gateway in the subsidiary's virtual network and connect it to the parent's Virtual WAN VPN gateway using site-to-site VPN.
This provides encrypted connectivity over the internet without on-premises hardware.
- B
Deploy Azure Bastion in both VNets and use it to route traffic between them.
Why wrong: Azure Bastion is not designed for site-to-site connectivity; it only provides secure RDP/SSH access.
- C
Use Virtual WAN's built-in VNet-to-VNet transitive routing by peering the subsidiary's VNet to the parent's VNet.
Why wrong: VNet peering does not encrypt traffic by default and is not supported across tenants without additional configuration.
- D
Establish an ExpressRoute circuit from the subsidiary's Azure region to the parent's region.
Why wrong: ExpressRoute requires on-premises connections and does not encrypt traffic over the internet; it uses private lines.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to deploy a VPN gateway in the subsidiary’s virtual network and connect it to the parent’s Virtual WAN VPN gateway using a site-to-site VPN over the internet. This solution meets the encryption requirement by using IPsec to secure traffic across the public internet, and it requires no on-premises hardware since both endpoints are Azure-native resources. On the AZ-500 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Virtual WAN connectivity options and the security boundary between tenants—specifically, that a site-to-site VPN is the only way to encrypt traffic between separate VNets without physical infrastructure. A common trap is choosing VNet peering, which lacks encryption, or ExpressRoute, which requires on-premises gear and does not traverse the internet. Remember the mnemonic: “Peering is for privacy, VPN is for encryption over the internet.”
AZ-500 Secure networking Practice Question
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.
You are a security engineer for a large enterprise that uses Azure Virtual WAN with multiple ExpressRoute circuits connecting on-premises data centers to Azure. The company has recently acquired a subsidiary that uses a different Azure tenant. The subsidiary has its own virtual networks and wants to connect to the parent company's Azure Virtual WAN to share resources. The security requirement is that traffic must be encrypted over the public internet, and the connection must be established without any on-premises hardware. You need to recommend a solution to securely connect the subsidiary's Azure virtual network to the parent's Virtual WAN. The solution should minimize administrative overhead and use Azure-native services.
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Deploy a VPN gateway in the subsidiary's virtual network and connect it to the parent's Virtual WAN VPN gateway using site-to-site VPN.
Option B is correct. A VPN gateway can be deployed in the subsidiary's virtual network and connected to the Virtual WAN's VPN gateway over the internet using IPsec, meeting the encryption requirement and without any on-premises hardware. Option A is wrong because ExpressRoute is a private connection that does not traverse the public internet and requires on-premises equipment. Option C is wrong because Virtual WAN supports transitive routing, but the subsidiary's VNet must be connected via a VPN gateway or ExpressRoute; VNet peering alone does not provide encryption. Option D is wrong because Azure Bastion is for RDP/SSH access, not for network connectivity.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Deploy a VPN gateway in the subsidiary's virtual network and connect it to the parent's Virtual WAN VPN gateway using site-to-site VPN.
Why this is correct
This provides encrypted connectivity over the internet without on-premises hardware.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- ✗
Deploy Azure Bastion in both VNets and use it to route traffic between them.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Bastion is not designed for site-to-site connectivity; it only provides secure RDP/SSH access.
- ✗
Use Virtual WAN's built-in VNet-to-VNet transitive routing by peering the subsidiary's VNet to the parent's VNet.
Why it's wrong here
VNet peering does not encrypt traffic by default and is not supported across tenants without additional configuration.
- ✗
Establish an ExpressRoute circuit from the subsidiary's Azure region to the parent's region.
Why it's wrong here
ExpressRoute requires on-premises connections and does not encrypt traffic over the internet; it uses private lines.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related AZ-500 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
- →
Secure networking — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Secure networking practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
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Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate AZ-500 study guide
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-500 question test?
Secure networking — This question tests Secure networking — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy a VPN gateway in the subsidiary's virtual network and connect it to the parent's Virtual WAN VPN gateway using site-to-site VPN. — Option B is correct. A VPN gateway can be deployed in the subsidiary's virtual network and connected to the Virtual WAN's VPN gateway over the internet using IPsec, meeting the encryption requirement and without any on-premises hardware. Option A is wrong because ExpressRoute is a private connection that does not traverse the public internet and requires on-premises equipment. Option C is wrong because Virtual WAN supports transitive routing, but the subsidiary's VNet must be connected via a VPN gateway or ExpressRoute; VNet peering alone does not provide encryption. Option D is wrong because Azure Bastion is for RDP/SSH access, not for network connectivity.
What should I do if I get this AZ-500 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related AZ-500 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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