ANS-C01 Network Security, Compliance and Governance Practice Question
A security engineer is designing a network security architecture for a hybrid cloud environment. The company has an AWS Direct Connect connection to its on-premises data center. They want to ensure that all traffic between on-premises and AWS is encrypted and that the encryption is enforced at the network layer. Which TWO solutions should the engineer consider?
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 dedicated connection.
(MACsec) is correct because it provides encryption at Layer 2 on the Direct Connect connection. Option D (IPsec VPN over Direct Connect) is correct because it creates an encrypted tunnel over the Direct Connect link. TLS is Layer 5+ and not network layer. SSL VPN is not relevant. VPC Peering does not apply to on-premises.
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 dedicated connection.
Why this is correct
MACsec provides Layer 2 encryption on the Direct Connect physical link.
- ✗
Set up an SSL VPN between on-premises and AWS.
Why it's wrong here
SSL VPN is also higher layer and not network layer encryption.
- ✗
Use VPC Peering to connect on-premises to AWS.
Why it's wrong here
VPC Peering operates at layer 3 but does not natively encrypt traffic; it relies on the underlying AWS network, which is not encrypted by default between peered VPCs. This fails the requirement for network-layer encryption enforcement. It is tempting because VPC Peering is commonly used to connect VPCs privately without traversing the public internet, and would be correct if the goal were simple private IP connectivity without mandatory encryption.
- ✓
Configure an IPsec VPN over the Direct Connect virtual interface.
Why this is correct
IPsec provides network layer encryption over the Direct Connect link.
- ✗
Use TLS encryption at the application layer.
Why it's wrong here
TLS is not network layer; it's higher layer and not enforced at the network level.
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
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 1,621 original ANS-C01 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.