The correct choice is to configure the S3 endpoint to use TLS and ensure the EMR cluster uses HTTPS for S3 access. This works because TLS (Transport Layer Security) encrypts the data channel between the EMR cluster and S3, while HTTPS is the application-layer protocol that enforces that encryption for every S3 request made by the cluster. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between encryption in transit and encryption at rest—a common trap is confusing SSE-S3 (which protects data at rest in S3) with TLS-based transit encryption. Remember that S3 endpoints can be configured with a policy that denies HTTP requests, forcing all traffic to use HTTPS, which is the key to enforcing EMR to S3 encryption in transit. A useful memory tip: “Transit needs TLS, rest needs SSE.”
DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data security and governance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 runs an Amazon EMR cluster that processes sensitive data stored in Amazon S3. The security team requires that all data in transit between the EMR cluster and S3 be encrypted. Which configuration ensures this requirement is met?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure the S3 endpoint to use TLS and ensure the EMR cluster uses HTTPS for S3 access.
Option A is correct because enabling S3 encryption in transit via TLS for the S3 endpoint enforces HTTPS for all S3 requests. Option B is wrong because SSE-S3 encrypts data at rest, not in transit. Option C is wrong because EMR encryption at rest does not cover transit. Option D is wrong because S3 access points do not enforce encryption in transit by default.
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.
✗
Enable in-transit encryption within the EMR cluster using EMRFS.
Why it's wrong here
EMRFS can use SSE but does not enforce TLS for S3 communication.
✗
Enable server-side encryption with S3 managed keys (SSE-S3) on the S3 bucket.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use an S3 access point with a bucket policy that denies HTTP requests.
Why it's wrong here
Access points do not enforce encryption in transit; a bucket policy can deny HTTP but that's not the same as configuring TLS.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
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.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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.
Data Security and Governance — This question tests Data Security and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure the S3 endpoint to use TLS and ensure the EMR cluster uses HTTPS for S3 access. — Option A is correct because enabling S3 encryption in transit via TLS for the S3 endpoint enforces HTTPS for all S3 requests. Option B is wrong because SSE-S3 encrypts data at rest, not in transit. Option C is wrong because EMR encryption at rest does not cover transit. Option D is wrong because S3 access points do not enforce encryption in transit by default.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A data engineer is setting up an Amazon EMR cluster to process sensitive data. The data is stored in S3 with SSE-S3. The company policy requires that data in transit between the EMR cluster and S3 be encrypted. Which configuration should be used?
hard
✓ A.Enable S3 encryption in transit using TLS
B.Disable encryption and use VPC endpoints
C.Configure EMRFS to use SSE-KMS
D.Use SSE-C for S3 objects
Why A: Option C is correct because enabling S3 encryption in transit uses TLS to encrypt data between EMR and S3. Option A is wrong because SSE-S3 encrypts at rest, not in transit. Option B is wrong because EMRFS with SSE-KMS is for at-rest encryption. Option D is wrong because disabling encryption is not an option.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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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