The answer is to set the `require_secure_transport` parameter to `ON` in the DB parameter group. This configuration enforces SSL connections to RDS by rejecting any unencrypted traffic at the database engine level, ensuring all data in transit between your application and the database is encrypted using TLS/SSL. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of how to enforce encryption in transit for managed database services, often appearing as a distractor against enabling IAM database authentication or modifying VPC security group rules—neither of which enforce transport-layer encryption. A common trap is confusing this parameter with the `rds.force_ssl` flag used in older MySQL versions, but for modern RDS engines, `require_secure_transport` is the correct, engine-agnostic setting. Memory tip: think "secure transport" as the gatekeeper that only lets encrypted traffic through—if it’s OFF, your data travels in plaintext.
DVA-C02 Security Practice Question
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. 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 developer needs to enforce encryption in transit for all traffic between an application and an RDS database. Which configuration should be used?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set the 'require_secure_transport' parameter to 'ON' in the DB parameter group.
Option D is correct because setting the 'require_secure_transport' parameter to 'ON' in the DB parameter group enforces TLS/SSL encryption for all connections to the RDS database. This ensures that data in transit between the application and the database is encrypted, meeting the requirement for encryption in transit.
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.
✗
Configure the security group to only allow traffic on port 443.
Why it's wrong here
RDS uses port 3306 (MySQL) or 5432 (PostgreSQL); security groups do not enforce encryption.
✗
Create a VPC peering connection between the application and database subnets.
Why it's wrong here
VPC peering connects networks but does not encrypt traffic.
✗
Enable encryption at rest using AWS KMS.
Why it's wrong here
This encrypts data on disk, not in transit.
✓
Set the 'require_secure_transport' parameter to 'ON' in the DB parameter group.
Why this is correct
This forces clients to use SSL/TLS for connections.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse encryption at rest (Option C) with encryption in transit, or assume that network-level controls like security groups (Option A) or VPC peering (Option B) inherently encrypt traffic, when they do not.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The 'require_secure_transport' parameter works by rejecting any connection attempt that does not use TLS/SSL, leveraging the database engine's built-in TLS support (e.g., MySQL's ssl_ca and ssl_cert parameters). In a real-world scenario, if an application connects without SSL, the database will refuse the connection with an error like 'SSL connection required', forcing developers to configure their database clients with the appropriate SSL certificates and connection strings.
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.
TExam Day Tips
→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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set the 'require_secure_transport' parameter to 'ON' in the DB parameter group. — Option D is correct because setting the 'require_secure_transport' parameter to 'ON' in the DB parameter group enforces TLS/SSL encryption for all connections to the RDS database. This ensures that data in transit between the application and the database is encrypted, meeting the requirement for encryption in transit.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Variation 1. A company wants to encrypt data in transit between an on-premises application and an Amazon RDS instance. Which of the following should be implemented?
medium
A.Use an AWS Site-to-Site VPN connection
✓ B.Use SSL/TLS for the database connection
C.Place the RDS instance in a private subnet and use a bastion host
D.Enable encryption at rest on the RDS instance
Why B: Encryption in transit is achieved by using SSL/TLS for the connection. RDS supports SSL/TLS connections to encrypt data moving between the client and the database.
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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.
Question Discussion
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