The answer is to configure the ALB with a security policy that enforces TLS 1.2 and the required ciphers. This is the most efficient approach because Application Load Balancers natively support predefined security policies, such as ELBSecurityPolicy-TLS-1-2-2017-01, which allow you to centrally mandate both the minimum TLS protocol version and specific cipher suites at the load balancer level, eliminating the need for per-instance configuration. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of centralized encryption enforcement versus distributed configuration, with a common trap being to consider Network Load Balancers (which lack TLS termination) or CloudFront (a CDN service) as alternatives. Remember that ALB security policies are the single control point for TLS compliance in a VPC-based architecture. A useful memory tip is "ALB policy, not instance trickery" — if you need to enforce TLS 1.2 and ciphers for backend traffic, always look to the load balancer’s security policy first.
DOP-C02 Resilient Cloud Solutions Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of resilient cloud solutions. 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.
An organization runs a critical application on Amazon EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group behind an Application Load Balancer. The application requires that all traffic be encrypted in transit. The security team mandates the use of TLS 1.2 or higher and specific ciphers. What is the MOST efficient way to enforce this requirement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure the ALB with a security policy that enforces TLS 1.2 and the required ciphers.
Option A is correct because ALB supports a predefined security policy that can be set to require TLS 1.2 and specific ciphers. Option B is wrong because CloudFront is for CDN, not for backend ALB. Option C is wrong because NLB does not support TLS termination at the load balancer. Option D is wrong because configuring each EC2 instance is inefficient and not centralized.
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 a Network Load Balancer with TLS listeners and target groups.
Why it's wrong here
NLB does not support security policies; TLS termination is at target.
✗
Place a CloudFront distribution in front of the ALB and configure the origin protocol policy.
Why it's wrong here
CloudFront does not enforce TLS version on origin; adds complexity.
✗
Install a self-signed certificate on each EC2 instance and configure the web server.
Why it's wrong here
Not centralized; certificate management is complex.
✓
Configure the ALB with a security policy that enforces TLS 1.2 and the required ciphers.
Why this is correct
ALB security policies allow centralized control of TLS settings.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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 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.
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 DOP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Resilient Cloud Solutions — This question tests Resilient Cloud Solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure the ALB with a security policy that enforces TLS 1.2 and the required ciphers. — Option A is correct because ALB supports a predefined security policy that can be set to require TLS 1.2 and specific ciphers. Option B is wrong because CloudFront is for CDN, not for backend ALB. Option C is wrong because NLB does not support TLS termination at the load balancer. Option D is wrong because configuring each EC2 instance is inefficient and not centralized.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 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 DOP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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