ANS-C01 Network Management and Operations Practice Question
A company is using AWS Transit Gateway with multiple VPCs and Direct Connect Gateway. They want to ensure that traffic between VPCs and on-premises is encrypted. Which TWO solutions can achieve this?
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 MACsec on the Direct Connect connection
The correct answers are A and B. MACsec (802.1ae) encrypts traffic at Layer 2 on the Direct Connect connection, providing encryption between the on-premises device and AWS. A VPN attachment on the Transit Gateway establishes an IPsec VPN between the Transit Gateway and an on-premises VPN device, encrypting traffic at Layer 3. Option C is incorrect because Transit Gateway does not have native IPsec capabilities; it relies on VPN attachments for IPsec. Option D is incorrect because IPsec is not supported over a private virtual interface; IPsec is typically used over a public virtual interface or a VPN connection. Option E is incorrect because VPC peering does not extend to on-premises traffic; it is only between VPCs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Enable MACsec on the Direct Connect connection
Why this is correct
MACsec encrypts at Layer 2 between customer router and AWS.
- ✓
Create a VPN attachment on the Transit Gateway and configure IPsec VPN to on-premises
Why this is correct
VPN attachments provide encryption over the internet.
- ✗
Use Transit Gateway IPsec VPN to encrypt traffic between VPCs
Why it's wrong here
Transit Gateway does not support IPsec natively.
- ✗
Enable IPsec on the private virtual interface
Why it's wrong here
Private VIF does not support IPsec; IPsec is used over public VIF or VPN.
- ✗
Use VPC peering with encryption
Why it's wrong here
VPC peering does not encrypt traffic by default and does not involve on-premises.
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.
Go deeper
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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.