DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
A company needs to encrypt data in transit between an EC2 instance and an S3 bucket. Which method should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse encryption in transit (HTTPS) with encryption at rest (SSE), leading candidates to select server-side encryption even though it does not protect data during network transfer.
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
✓
Use HTTPS endpoints
HTTPS endpoints encrypt data in transit between EC2 and S3 using TLS/SSL, ensuring confidentiality and integrity over the public internet. S3 supports HTTPS natively on its REST endpoints, and the AWS SDKs default to HTTPS, making this the simplest and most secure method for encrypting data in motion.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use HTTPS endpoints
Why this is correct
HTTPS endpoints encrypt traffic using TLS between the EC2 instance and S3, directly satisfying the in-transit encryption requirement. AWS supports HTTPS for all S3 API operations, so requests to the REST endpoint are secured without extra configuration. This protects data crossing the network, unlike at-rest options such as SSE-KMS.
- ✗
Use plain HTTP
Why it's wrong here
Plain HTTP sends S3 requests unencrypted, so data in transit is readable and the requirement is unmet. It is tempting because HTTP is the default scheme for many S3 endpoint URLs, and it would be acceptable only where traffic never leaves a trusted, isolated network.
- ✗
Use an IPsec VPN
Why it's wrong here
An IPsec VPN encrypts traffic over an untrusted network path, but S3 requests already traverse the AWS network; the requirement is TLS on the S3 endpoint. It is tempting because IPsec is the standard answer for encrypting data in transit between sites.
- ✗
Server-side encryption (SSE)
Why it's wrong here
SSE encrypts objects at rest inside S3, not the connection carrying requests, so transit remains unprotected. It is tempting because it is an S3 encryption feature and is the correct choice when the requirement is protecting stored objects rather than data in flight.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DEA-C01 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 DEA-C01 exam.