Quick Answer
The Application Load Balancer (ALB) is the correct choice for offloading SSL/TLS termination because it handles HTTPS decryption at the listener level, forwarding unencrypted HTTP traffic to backend targets, which reduces CPU overhead on your application servers and centralizes certificate management. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of how to secure data in transit while optimizing backend performance—a common trap is choosing CloudFront or an NLB, but remember that only ALB and CLB natively terminate SSL/TLS for HTTP traffic, and ALB is the modern, feature-rich option. A key memory tip: think "ALB = Application Layer = HTTPS decryption," and associate the "T" in "termination" with "TLS" to recall that the ALB strips the encryption before reaching your EC2 or Lambda targets.
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 developer is building a web application that must encrypt data in transit between the client and the server. Which AWS service should be used to offload SSL/TLS termination?
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
ALB supports SSL/TLS termination.
Amazon CloudFront
Why wrong: CloudFront terminates SSL but is not a load balancer.
Network Load Balancer (NLB)
Why wrong: NLB does not terminate SSL by default.
Amazon Route 53
Why wrong: Route 53 is DNS, not for SSL termination.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
An Application Load Balancer (ALB) supports SSL/TLS termination by decrypting HTTPS traffic from clients and forwarding it as HTTP to backend targets. This offloads the cryptographic processing from application servers, reducing their CPU load and centralizing certificate management. ALB uses listener rules with SSL/TLS certificates stored in AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) or uploaded via IAM, and it supports TLS 1.2 and 1.3 protocols.
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.
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
Why this is correct
ALB supports SSL/TLS termination.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon CloudFront
Why it's wrong here
CloudFront terminates SSL but is not a load balancer.
Network Load Balancer (NLB)
Why it's wrong here
NLB does not terminate SSL by default.
Amazon Route 53
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse Network Load Balancer's ability to handle TLS traffic (via passthrough) with SSL/TLS termination, but NLB cannot decrypt traffic—only ALB and Classic Load Balancer (CLB) can terminate SSL/TLS at Layer 7.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, ALB uses a TLS listener that negotiates the handshake using the Server Name Indication (SNI) extension to serve multiple certificates on the same listener. When offloading, the ALB adds the X-Forwarded-For, X-Forwarded-Proto, and X-Forwarded-Port headers so backend servers can still determine the original client IP and protocol. In a real-world scenario, this is critical for applications that need to enforce HTTPS-only access while keeping backend instances in a private subnet without exposing them to TLS overhead.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
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FAQ
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Application Load Balancer (ALB) — An Application Load Balancer (ALB) supports SSL/TLS termination by decrypting HTTPS traffic from clients and forwarding it as HTTP to backend targets. This offloads the cryptographic processing from application servers, reducing their CPU load and centralizing certificate management. ALB uses listener rules with SSL/TLS certificates stored in AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) or uploaded via IAM, and it supports TLS 1.2 and 1.3 protocols.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Same concept, more angles
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 company wants to ensure that all data in transit between a web application and its users is encrypted. Which AWS service can provide SSL/TLS termination?
easyWhy B: Option A is correct because ALB can terminate SSL/TLS and decrypt traffic. Option B is wrong because CloudFront can also terminate SSL, but the question asks which service can provide termination, and ALB is a common choice. Option C is wrong because EC2 instances can handle SSL but that is not a service. Option D is wrong because Route 53 is DNS and does not terminate SSL.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This DVA-C02 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 DVA-C02 exam.
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