DVA-C02 Security Practice Question
A developer wants to encrypt data in transit between an API Gateway REST API and its clients. Which configuration should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often overcomplicate the solution by assuming a custom domain or additional services like WAF are needed for encryption, when the default HTTPS endpoint already provides TLS encryption for data in transit.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use the default HTTPS endpoint provided by API Gateway.
API Gateway REST APIs automatically provide an HTTPS endpoint using TLS for data in transit encryption. This default endpoint uses an Amazon-issued certificate, ensuring encryption between clients and API Gateway without any additional configuration. The developer only needs to use the default HTTPS URL provided by API Gateway to satisfy the requirement.
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 a custom domain name with a certificate from ACM.
Why it's wrong here
Using a custom domain name with a certificate from AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) is an optional configuration for API Gateway. While it does enable HTTPS for your custom domain, the default API Gateway endpoint already provides HTTPS encryption automatically. Therefore, this action is not necessary to achieve encryption in transit, as the core requirement is met by the service's default behavior.
- ✗
Implement client-side encryption using a JavaScript library.
Why it's wrong here
Implementing client-side encryption using a JavaScript library encrypts data before it leaves the client application. However, this method encrypts the data payload itself, not the communication channel between the client and the API Gateway. It does not guarantee the secure transport of the encrypted data across the network, which is the specific concern of 'encryption in transit' at the transport layer (TLS/SSL).
- ✓
Use the default HTTPS endpoint provided by API Gateway.
Why this is correct
The default HTTPS endpoint provided by API Gateway automatically ensures that all data transmitted between the client and the API Gateway is encrypted in transit. AWS manages the SSL/TLS certificates and the underlying infrastructure, providing robust transport layer security (TLS) out-of-the-box. This inherent feature means developers do not need to perform additional steps to secure the communication channel.
- ✗
Attach an AWS WAF web ACL to the API Gateway.
Why it's wrong here
Attaching an AWS WAF web ACL to API Gateway provides application-layer security by filtering malicious traffic based on predefined rules. WAF helps protect against common web exploits like SQL injection or cross-site scripting, and can control access based on IP addresses or geographic locations. However, WAF operates at a higher layer and does not provide the fundamental transport layer encryption (HTTPS/TLS) required for data in transit.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.