ANS-C01 Network Security, Compliance and Governance Practice Question
A company is designing a network architecture for a highly sensitive application that must meet strict compliance requirements. The application is deployed in a VPC with multiple subnets. The company needs to ensure that all traffic between subnets is encrypted and that no traffic can bypass the encryption. Which TWO steps should be taken?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common trap is to assume that VPN connections can be established between subnets within a VPC to encrypt traffic. However, intra-VPC traffic is already within the same network and cannot be routed through a VPN connection. VPNs are for connecting separate networks.
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 network ACLs to block all traffic except encrypted protocols (e.g., IPSec).
Network ACLs can be configured to block all traffic except encrypted protocols like IPSec, thereby enforcing encryption at the subnet level. Option C is correct: A VPC CNI plugin that supports encryption can enforce encryption for pods in Kubernetes clusters, which is relevant for containerized workloads in the VPC. Option B is incorrect: VPN connections are established between VPCs or between a VPC and on-premises networks, not between subnets within the same VPC. It is not possible to set up VPN connections between subnet route tables. Option D is wrong: Security groups only filter traffic based on IP addresses and ports; they cannot inspect or enforce encryption of the traffic content. Option E is wrong: VPC Flow Logs only log metadata about traffic and cannot enforce or detect whether the traffic payload is encrypted. Therefore, the correct steps are A and C.
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 network ACLs to block all traffic except encrypted protocols (e.g., IPSec).
Why this is correct
NACLs can block unencrypted traffic by blocking non-IPSec ports.
- ✗
Set up VPN connections between each subnet's route tables.
Why it's wrong here
B is incorrect because VPN connections are used for connectivity between VPCs or between a VPC and an on-premises network, not between subnets within the same VPC. AWS does not support setting up VPN connections directly between subnet route tables.
- ✓
Deploy a VPC CNI plugin that supports encryption for pods.
Why this is correct
For containerized applications, CNI plugins can enforce encryption between pods.
- ✗
Use security groups to allow only encrypted traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Security groups filter based on IP/port/protocol, not encryption status.
- ✗
Enable VPC Flow Logs to detect unencrypted traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Flow Logs detect but do not prevent unencrypted traffic.
Visual reference
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This ANS-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 ANS-C01 exam.