Quick Answer
The correct solution is to use SSL/TLS to connect to the RDS instance, as this protocol encrypts data in transit between the application and the database. SSL/TLS establishes an encrypted tunnel at the transport layer, ensuring that all data moving across the network—such as SQL queries and result sets—is protected from interception or tampering. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this concept tests your ability to distinguish between encryption at rest and encryption in transit, a common pitfall where candidates confuse AWS KMS (which secures data at rest) with SSL/TLS. The exam often presents scenarios involving RDS connectivity, and the trap is selecting KMS or CloudHSM because they sound security-related, but neither handles network-layer encryption. Remember the memory tip: "In transit, think TLS; at rest, think KMS."
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data security and governance. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 data engineer needs to encrypt data in transit between an Amazon RDS for MySQL instance and an application. Which solution should be used?
Enable encryption at rest using AWS KMS
Why wrong: KMS encrypts data at rest, not in transit.
Use SSL/TLS to connect to the RDS instance
SSL/TLS encrypts data in transit between client and database.
Store the data in Amazon S3 with server-side encryption
Why wrong: S3 is not the database in this scenario.
Use AWS CloudHSM to generate and store encryption keys
Why wrong: CloudHSM manages keys but does not encrypt data in transit.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Use SSL/TLS to connect to the RDS instance
Option B is correct because SSL/TLS is used to encrypt data in transit between clients and RDS. Option A is wrong because KMS encrypts data at rest, not in transit. Option C is wrong because S3 is not involved in this scenario. Option D is wrong because CloudHSM provides hardware security modules for key storage, not encryption in transit.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Enable encryption at rest using AWS KMS
Why it's wrong here
KMS encrypts data at rest, not in transit.
Use SSL/TLS to connect to the RDS instance
Why this is correct
SSL/TLS encrypts data in transit between client and database.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Store the data in Amazon S3 with server-side encryption
Why it's wrong here
S3 is not the database in this scenario.
Use AWS CloudHSM to generate and store encryption keys
Why it's wrong here
CloudHSM manages keys but does not encrypt data in transit.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
S3 is not the database in this scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Data Security and Governance — This question tests Data Security and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Use SSL/TLS to connect to the RDS instance — Option B is correct because SSL/TLS is used to encrypt data in transit between clients and RDS. Option A is wrong because KMS encrypts data at rest, not in transit. Option C is wrong because S3 is not involved in this scenario. Option D is wrong because CloudHSM provides hardware security modules for key storage, not encryption in transit.
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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