Google Cloud Professional Cloud Security Engineer Practice Exam

What solution should a team implement to avoid exposing a public web application directly on the internet while blocking malicious IPs?

1. Cloud VPN for secure access

2. Cloud Armor to manage web application traffic

3. Cloud Load Balancer for distribution

4. Cloud CDN for improved performance

The correct answer is: Cloud Armor to manage web application traffic

Implementing Cloud Armor is the most effective solution for managing web application traffic while avoiding direct exposure to the internet. Cloud Armor provides a robust layer of security by offering features such as deny rules, IP address filtering, and behavioral security policies. This means that it can help block malicious IPs and mitigate threats such as DDoS attacks. By using Cloud Armor, organizations can create customized security policies that fit their application’s specific needs. For instance, it allows the definition of rules that can restrict access to certain IP ranges, effectively protecting the web application from unwanted traffic. Moreover, utilizing Cloud Armor in conjunction with a Load Balancer enables incoming traffic to be monitored and filtered before it reaches the web servers, which significantly enhances the overall security posture. While the other options provided have their own merits, they do not directly address the need to block malicious IPs in the context of securing a public-facing web application. Cloud VPN focuses on secure, private access to resources without going through the public internet, which is not the primary concern here. Cloud Load Balancer is essential for distributing traffic but does not inherently provide security features tailored to blocking malicious traffic. Cloud CDN enhances performance by caching content but does not offer the necessary safeguards against threats. Thus, Cloud Armor stands