- A
AWS Direct Connect with dedicated link guarantees
Why wrong: Direct Connect provides a private dedicated network connection but does NOT encrypt traffic — encryption must be added via VPN or application-layer TLS.
- B
AWS Site-to-Site VPN using IPsec encryption
Site-to-Site VPN uses IPsec to encrypt all traffic between on-premises and AWS, ensuring encryption in transit over the public internet.
- C
Amazon S3 SSE-S3 encryption
Why wrong: SSE-S3 is server-side encryption at rest in S3 — it doesn't encrypt data during transmission.
- D
AWS KMS key rotation
Why wrong: KMS key rotation is about encryption key management — it doesn't directly provide encryption in transit.
Question 696 of 1,024
CLF-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 needs to ensure that all data transmitted between their on-premises servers and AWS is encrypted during transfer. Which AWS services provide encryption in transit? (Choose the most complete answer.)
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
✓
AWS Site-to-Site VPN using IPsec encryption
AWS Site-to-Site VPN is the correct choice because it creates an encrypted tunnel between on-premises servers and AWS using IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) protocol suite. IPsec provides confidentiality, integrity, and authentication for all data packets traversing the public internet, ensuring encryption in transit as required by the question.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect with dedicated link guarantees
- ✓
AWS Site-to-Site VPN using IPsec encryption
- ✗
Amazon S3 SSE-S3 encryption
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 is server-side encryption at rest in S3 — it doesn't encrypt data during transmission.
- ✗
AWS KMS key rotation
Why it's wrong here
KMS key rotation is about encryption key management — it doesn't directly provide encryption in transit.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse encryption in transit with encryption at rest, often selecting S3 SSE-S3 or KMS key rotation because they associate 'encryption' broadly with AWS security, without distinguishing the data state.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
IPsec operates in two modes: transport mode (encrypts payload only) and tunnel mode (encrypts entire IP packet), with AWS Site-to-Site VPN typically using tunnel mode for site-to-site connectivity. The VPN uses Internet Key Exchange (IKE) version 1 or 2 to establish security associations (SAs), and supports AES-128 or AES-256 encryption algorithms. In a real-world scenario, if a company uses Direct Connect without an overlay VPN, traffic could be exposed to physical-layer interception, making IPsec essential for compliance with standards like PCI DSS or HIPAA.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Site-to-Site VPN using IPsec encryption — AWS Site-to-Site VPN is the correct choice because it creates an encrypted tunnel between on-premises servers and AWS using IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) protocol suite. IPsec provides confidentiality, integrity, and authentication for all data packets traversing the public internet, ensuring encryption in transit as required by the question.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This CLF-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CLF-C02 exam.
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