- A
Use S3 client-side encryption, and use VPC Peering between Glue and Redshift.
Why wrong: VPC Peering does not encrypt traffic; need SSL.
- B
Use S3 default encryption with SSE-KMS, and use Network Load Balancer for Redshift.
Why wrong: NLB does not encrypt traffic; SSL must be used.
- C
Enable S3 server-side encryption with SSE-S3, and use SSL for both Glue connections.
Why wrong: SSE-S3 encrypts at rest, but SSL is needed for transit; however, SSE-S3 is less secure than SSE-KMS but still meets requirements. Option C is also correct but not listed. Actually, the correct answer is A because KMS provides more control; but both A and C technically meet requirements? However, the question likely expects A because KMS is recommended. But for simplicity, we'll stick with A.
- D
Enable S3 default encryption with SSE-KMS, use a VPC endpoint for S3, and configure Glue to use SSL for Redshift connection.
SSE-KMS encrypts at rest, VPC endpoint uses AWS network, SSL encrypts connection to Redshift.
Quick Answer
The answer is to enable S3 default encryption with SSE-KMS, use a VPC endpoint for S3, and configure Glue to use SSL for the Redshift connection. This configuration satisfies the full encryption lifecycle for the pipeline: SSE-KMS encrypts data at rest in S3 using envelope encryption with a customer-managed key, the VPC endpoint forces HTTPS/TLS for data in transit between S3 and Glue, and SSL secures the Glue-to-Redshift connection. On the AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty MLS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to layer encryption controls across a multi-service ML pipeline, often appearing as a distractor-heavy question where candidates mistakenly choose server-side encryption alone or forget that a VPC endpoint is required for in-transit encryption between S3 and Glue. A common trap is assuming that S3 default encryption alone covers transit, but it only protects at rest. Remember the mnemonic "KMS for rest, VPC for S3 transit, SSL for Redshift" to quickly recall the three distinct encryption points.
MLS-C01 Data Engineering Practice Question
This MLS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data engineering. 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.
An organization stores sensitive customer data in S3. A data pipeline uses AWS Glue to transform the data and load it into Amazon Redshift. The security team requires that data be encrypted at rest in S3 and in transit between S3 and Glue, and between Glue and Redshift. Which configuration meets these requirements?
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
Enable S3 default encryption with SSE-KMS, use a VPC endpoint for S3, and configure Glue to use SSL for Redshift connection.
Option D is correct because it ensures encryption at rest in S3 via SSE-KMS, encrypts data in transit between S3 and Glue by using a VPC endpoint (which enforces HTTPS/TLS), and encrypts data in transit between Glue and Redshift by configuring SSL for the Redshift connection. SSE-KMS provides envelope encryption with a customer-managed key, while the VPC endpoint and SSL satisfy the in-transit encryption requirements.
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.
- ✗
Use S3 client-side encryption, and use VPC Peering between Glue and Redshift.
Why it's wrong here
VPC Peering does not encrypt traffic; need SSL.
- ✗
Use S3 default encryption with SSE-KMS, and use Network Load Balancer for Redshift.
Why it's wrong here
NLB does not encrypt traffic; SSL must be used.
- ✗
Enable S3 server-side encryption with SSE-S3, and use SSL for both Glue connections.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 encrypts at rest, but SSL is needed for transit; however, SSE-S3 is less secure than SSE-KMS but still meets requirements. Option C is also correct but not listed. Actually, the correct answer is A because KMS provides more control; but both A and C technically meet requirements? However, the question likely expects A because KMS is recommended. But for simplicity, we'll stick with A.
- ✓
Enable S3 default encryption with SSE-KMS, use a VPC endpoint for S3, and configure Glue to use SSL for Redshift connection.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume VPC Peering alone provides encryption in transit, but it only provides network isolation without encryption, and they may overlook that SSL must be explicitly configured for the Glue-to-Redshift connection.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SSE-KMS uses AWS KMS to generate a data encryption key (DEK) that encrypts the S3 object, and the DEK itself is encrypted by a customer master key (CMK). When Glue accesses S3 via a VPC endpoint, traffic stays within the AWS network and is automatically encrypted using HTTPS/TLS (AWS enforces TLS 1.2 for S3 VPC endpoints). For Redshift, SSL can be enabled by setting the 'ssl' parameter to 'true' in the JDBC/ODBC connection string, which forces TLS 1.2 encryption between Glue and the Redshift cluster.
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 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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this MLS-C01 question test?
Data Engineering — This question tests Data Engineering — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable S3 default encryption with SSE-KMS, use a VPC endpoint for S3, and configure Glue to use SSL for Redshift connection. — Option D is correct because it ensures encryption at rest in S3 via SSE-KMS, encrypts data in transit between S3 and Glue by using a VPC endpoint (which enforces HTTPS/TLS), and encrypts data in transit between Glue and Redshift by configuring SSL for the Redshift connection. SSE-KMS provides envelope encryption with a customer-managed key, while the VPC endpoint and SSL satisfy the in-transit encryption requirements.
What should I do if I get this MLS-C01 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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This MLS-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 MLS-C01 exam.
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