Cloud Networking Explained — VPCs, Subnets & Security Groups

Networking in the Cloud Explained

1 min readPublished 22 Jul 2026

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Cloud networking reuses everything from Networking Fundamentals — IP addressing, subnetting, routing and firewalls — applied in software.

Interactive explainer

Networking in the Cloud

VPCs, subnets and cloud firewalls — your on-prem skills, applied.

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1. Virtual network (VPC/VNet)

Your private cloud network.

A Virtual Private Cloud (AWS) or Virtual Network (Azure) is your isolated, software-defined network in the cloud. You define its address space with CIDR — the same subnetting skills as on-prem apply.

Check your understanding

1. An AWS VPC / Azure VNet is…

2. Which control is a stateful, instance-level cloud firewall?

Keep learning

Networking in the Cloud IP Addressing & Subnetting CompTIA Network+

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The building blocks

Virtual network (VPC/VNet) — your isolated, software-defined network, sized with CIDR.
Subnets — public (internet-facing) and private (databases, back-ends) tiers.
Security groups & NACLs — stateful instance-level and stateless subnet-level firewalls; default-deny and least privilege still apply.
Connectivity — internet gateways, NAT, peering, VPN and private links tie it all together, including back to on-premises for hybrid cloud.

This is essential for Azure, AWS and cloud security roles.

Interview Intelligence

How this topic actually shows up in interviews — and how to demonstrate you understand it.

Why employers ask about this

Cloud networking misconfigurations cause real breaches and outages. Employers want solid fundamentals applied to VPCs.

Technical questions

Explain a VPC and how you'd segment it.+

An isolated software-defined network split into public and private subnets, with routing and security groups controlling traffic.

Behavioural questions

Describe designing a secure network layout.+

STAR: the tiers, the public/private split and least-privilege rules, and the security outcome.

Real-world scenarios

“A database is reachable from the internet.”+

Expected answer: Move it to a private subnet and restrict access to the app tier via security groups.

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Employability Intelligence

Where this knowledge takes you — the jobs, skills and certifications it feeds into.

Relevant roles

Cloud EngineerAWS Solutions ArchitectNetwork Engineer

Skills you're proving

Cloud networkingSubnettingCloud firewalls

Recommended certifications

CompTIA Security+

Career progression

Networking Fundamentals → Cloud Fundamentals → Cloud/Network Engineer.

What employers expect

That you understand cloud concepts well enough to be productive and safe on Azure or AWS from day one.

Frequently asked questions

Is cloud networking totally different from on-prem?

No — subnetting, routing and firewall concepts transfer directly; the cloud just makes them software-defined.

What's the difference between a security group and a NACL?

Security groups are stateful at the instance level; NACLs are stateless at the subnet level.

Where should databases live in a VPC?

In private subnets with no direct internet access, reachable only from your application tier.

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Missiora is an AI Employability Intelligence platform. Our resources are researched and reviewed by the Missiora team to help you measure, improve and prove your career readiness.