The correct combination is Kinesis Data Streams with SSE-KMS and TLS, plus CloudTrail for data events, because this setup satisfies all three requirements: encryption at rest via server-side encryption with AWS KMS, encryption in transit through TLS, and auditing through CloudTrail’s ability to log Kinesis API calls as data events. This question tests your understanding of how to secure streaming data pipelines on the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, specifically the interplay between encryption layers and audit trails for sensitive workloads like healthcare PHI. A common trap is assuming S3 can replace Kinesis for near-real-time streaming, or forgetting that SSE alone provides at-rest encryption but not auditing. Remember the mnemonic “KAT” — Kinesis, AWS KMS, TLS, and CloudTrail — to recall the four pillars of a compliant streaming solution.
DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. 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 healthcare company processes patient records in near-real-time using Amazon Kinesis Data Streams. Each record contains sensitive personal health information (PHI). The data must be encrypted at rest and in transit. The company also needs to audit access to the data. The data engineer is designing the ingestion pipeline. Which combination of services and configurations meets these requirements?
Use Kinesis Data Firehose to deliver data to S3 with SSE-S3, and enable CloudTrail for S3.
Why wrong: This is a different architecture; the question specifies near-real-time streaming, and Firehose is not a replacement for Kinesis Data Streams.
B
Use Kinesis Data Streams with TLS and enable CloudTrail for auditing. Do not enable SSE.
Why wrong: No at-rest encryption, which is required for PHI.
C
Use Kinesis Data Streams with SSE-KMS and TLS, and enable CloudTrail for data events.
Provides encryption at rest and in transit, plus auditing.
D
Use Kinesis Data Streams with SSE-KMS and TLS. Do not enable any auditing.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use Kinesis Data Streams with SSE-KMS and TLS, and enable CloudTrail for data events.
Option C is correct. Kinesis Data Streams supports server-side encryption (SSE) using AWS KMS for at-rest encryption, and TLS for in-transit. CloudTrail can log Kinesis API calls for auditing. Option A lacks encryption at rest. Option B lacks auditing. Option D is wrong because S3 does not replace Kinesis for streaming.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 Kinesis Data Firehose to deliver data to S3 with SSE-S3, and enable CloudTrail for S3.
Why it's wrong here
This is a different architecture; the question specifies near-real-time streaming, and Firehose is not a replacement for Kinesis Data Streams.
✗
Use Kinesis Data Streams with TLS and enable CloudTrail for auditing. Do not enable SSE.
Use Kinesis Data Streams with SSE-KMS and TLS, and enable CloudTrail for data events.
Why this is correct
Provides encryption at rest and in transit, plus auditing.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Use Kinesis Data Streams with SSE-KMS and TLS. Do not enable any auditing.
Why it's wrong here
Lacks auditing capabilities.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DEA-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Data Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Kinesis Data Streams with SSE-KMS and TLS, and enable CloudTrail for data events. — Option C is correct. Kinesis Data Streams supports server-side encryption (SSE) using AWS KMS for at-rest encryption, and TLS for in-transit. CloudTrail can log Kinesis API calls for auditing. Option A lacks encryption at rest. Option B lacks auditing. Option D is wrong because S3 does not replace Kinesis for streaming.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DEA-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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 →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.