Quick Answer
The answer is Azure Application Gateway with WAF. This is the correct choice because it functions as a regional, layer-7 load balancer that includes a built-in Web Application Firewall specifically designed to protect web apps from SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) by inspecting HTTP/HTTPS traffic against OWASP Core Rule Sets (CRS) and blocking malicious payloads at the application layer. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this question tests your ability to differentiate between network-level and application-level security services; a common trap is confusing Azure Front Door with Application Gateway, but remember that Front Door is global and CDN-focused, while Application Gateway is regional and purpose-built for protecting web apps from SQL injection and XSS at the application gateway level. A useful memory tip is to think of “WAF on the Gateway” as your regional shield against injection and script attacks.
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities. 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.
A company wants to implement a secure web application gateway to protect their public-facing web apps from common exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. Which Azure service should they use?
Azure Front Door with WAF
Why wrong: Front Door is for global load balancing, not typical for single app.
Azure Firewall
Why wrong: Azure Firewall is a network firewall, not a web app firewall.
Azure DDoS Protection
Why wrong: DDoS Protection only mitigates distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Azure Application Gateway with WAF
Application Gateway with WAF protects web apps from common exploits.
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 Application Gateway with WAF
Azure Application Gateway with WAF is the correct choice because it is a regional, layer-7 load balancer that includes a built-in Web Application Firewall (WAF) specifically designed to protect web applications from common exploits such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). The WAF uses OWASP Core Rule Sets (CRS) to inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic and block malicious payloads at the application layer, making it the ideal service for securing public-facing web apps.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Azure Front Door with WAF
Why it's wrong here
Front Door is for global load balancing, not typical for single app.
Azure Firewall
Why it's wrong here
Azure Firewall is a network firewall, not a web app firewall.
Azure DDoS Protection
Why it's wrong here
DDoS Protection only mitigates distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Azure Application Gateway with WAF
Why this is correct
Application Gateway with WAF protects web apps from common exploits.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Front Door with WAF as a direct alternative to Application Gateway with WAF, but Front Door is a global service for multi-region distribution, while Application Gateway is the regional, layer-7 load balancer with WAF that is the correct choice for protecting a single-region web application gateway.
Detailed technical explanation
Azure Application Gateway WAF operates in detection or prevention mode, using OWASP CRS 3.2 (or 3.1) rules to match patterns like SQL keywords (e.g., UNION, SELECT) and script tags in request bodies and headers. Under the hood, it can also integrate with Azure Security Center for centralized logging and alerting, and supports custom rules to whitelist or blacklist specific IP ranges or request patterns. In a real-world scenario, if a web app is deployed in a single Azure region behind an Application Gateway, the WAF can block a malicious POST request containing '1=1' in a form field, while Azure Front Door would be overkill for a single-region deployment and adds unnecessary latency and cost.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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
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FAQ
Design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities — This question tests Design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Azure Application Gateway with WAF — Azure Application Gateway with WAF is the correct choice because it is a regional, layer-7 load balancer that includes a built-in Web Application Firewall (WAF) specifically designed to protect web applications from common exploits such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). The WAF uses OWASP Core Rule Sets (CRS) to inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic and block malicious payloads at the application layer, making it the ideal service for securing public-facing web apps.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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