What is the purpose of segmentation and zoning in network architecture?

• A. Increase broadcast domain size to improve performance.
• B. Enable universal trust among zones.
• C. Limit lateral movement, contain breaches, and enforce access controls by separating networks into security zones.
• D. Eliminate all firewalls.

Answer: (C)

Segmentation and zoning create security boundaries within a network. By dividing the network into smaller segments and grouping resources into security zones with different trust levels, you can enforce access controls at the boundaries and monitor traffic between zones. If a breach occurs in one area, the layered boundaries limit how far an attacker can move laterally, helping to contain the incident and reduce impact. This structure also makes enforcement of least-privilege policies and protective measures more precise and scalable.

Other ideas miss the point: increasing broadcast domain size would hurt performance and signal less control over traffic; expecting universal trust across zones defeats the purpose of boundaries; and removing firewalls eliminates the essential mechanism that enforces those boundaries and access controls.