DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
A company needs to enforce encryption in transit for all data moving between its Amazon S3 bucket and a fleet of Amazon EC2 instances. The data is accessed via S3 API calls over the internet. Which configuration ensures encryption in transit?
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
✓
Configure the bucket policy to deny requests that do not use HTTPS.
Configuring the bucket policy to deny requests that do not use HTTPS ensures encryption in transit for S3 API calls. Option A is wrong because SSE-S3 encrypts data at rest, not in transit. Option B is wrong because S3 Transfer Acceleration uses a global network but does not enforce encryption; HTTPS must still be used. Option C is wrong because a VPC endpoint for S3 uses AWS network but does not enforce encryption; the bucket policy must explicitly require HTTPS.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Enable SSE-S3 on the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 encrypts objects at rest using AES-256 after they reach the bucket; it applies no protection to data in flight, leaving HTTP API calls unencrypted. It is correct where the requirement is server-side encryption of stored objects, not encryption of traffic between EC2 and S3.
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Enable S3 Transfer Acceleration.
Why it's wrong here
Transfer Acceleration routes uploads through CloudFront edge locations to reduce latency; it does not enforce TLS on S3 API calls, so plain HTTP requests would still succeed. It is the right choice when the requirement is faster long-distance transfer of large objects, not encryption in transit.
- ✗
Use a VPC endpoint for S3.
Why it's wrong here
A VPC endpoint keeps S3 traffic on the AWS private network, but the stem specifies access over the internet, and an endpoint alone does not require TLS. It is correct when instances in a VPC must reach S3 privately without a NAT gateway or internet gateway.
- ✓
Configure the bucket policy to deny requests that do not use HTTPS.
Why this is correct
A bucket policy with a `aws:SecureTransport` condition set to false denies any request made over plain HTTP, forcing all S3 API calls from the EC2 fleet to use HTTPS/TLS. This directly enforces encryption in transit for internet-based access, satisfying the stem's requirement.
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.