Question 167 of 1,755
Data EngineeringhardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

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

    Incorrect because S3 client-side encryption does not guarantee encryption at rest in S3 in the same way as server-side encryption, and VPC Peering alone does not encrypt data in transit.

  • Use S3 default encryption with SSE-KMS, and use Network Load Balancer for Redshift.

    Why it's wrong here

    Incorrect because a Network Load Balancer does not provide encryption in transit between Glue and Redshift; only network-level load balancing.

  • Enable S3 server-side encryption with SSE-S3, and use SSL for both Glue connections.

    Why it's wrong here

    Incorrect because SSE-S3 provides encryption at rest but with an AWS-managed key, which may not meet customer-managed key requirements; also, using SSL for Glue connections is not sufficient without explicitly configuring SSL for the Redshift connection.

  • Enable S3 default encryption with SSE-KMS, use a VPC endpoint for S3, and configure Glue to use SSL for Redshift connection.

    Why this is correct

    Correct because SSE-KMS ensures encryption at rest in S3 with a customer-managed key, a VPC endpoint for S3 uses HTTPS/TLS for in-transit encryption between S3 and Glue, and configuring Glue to use SSL for Redshift encrypts data in transit between Glue and Redshift.

    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 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.

Quick reference

AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison

Storage ClassMin DurationRetrievalUse Case
S3 StandardNoneImmediateFrequently accessed data
S3 Standard-IA30 daysImmediateInfrequent access, rapid retrieval
S3 One Zone-IA30 daysImmediateNon-critical infrequent data
S3 Intelligent-TieringNoneImmediate–hoursUnknown or changing access patterns
S3 Glacier Instant90 daysMillisecondsArchive with instant retrieval
S3 Glacier Flexible90 daysMinutes–hoursArchive, flexible retrieval
S3 Glacier Deep Archive180 daysHoursLong-term compliance archive

What to study next

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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

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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.