- A
Establish an IPSec VPN connection over the Direct Connect public virtual interface using a customer gateway and a virtual private gateway.
This combination provides encrypted IPSec tunnels over the Direct Connect connection.
- B
Use a private virtual interface (VIF) on the Direct Connect connection and enable encryption at the physical layer.
Why wrong: Direct Connect does not provide encryption at the physical layer; encryption is optional and must be implemented at a higher layer.
- C
Use VPC endpoints (Gateway Endpoints) for all traffic between on-premises and the VPC.
Why wrong: VPC endpoints allow private access to AWS services but do not encrypt traffic between on-premises and the VPC.
- D
Attach the Direct Connect virtual interface to a Transit Gateway and enable multicast.
Why wrong: Transit Gateway does not provide encryption; multicast is unrelated.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to establish an IPsec VPN connection over the Direct Connect public virtual interface using a customer gateway and a virtual private gateway. This works because the public VIF provides access to AWS public services, allowing you to terminate an IPsec tunnel over that logical connection, which encrypts all traffic between your on-premises network and the VPC while still leveraging the private, low-latency Direct Connect link. On the ANS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that Direct Connect itself does not encrypt traffic—you must layer encryption on top, and the public VIF is the correct termination point for the VPN, not the private VIF. A common trap is assuming a private VIF inherently provides encryption or that you need a separate internet-based VPN; instead, remember that the IPsec tunnel rides over the existing Direct Connect public VIF. Memory tip: “Public VIF for the VPN lift.”
ANS-C01 Network Security, Compliance and Governance Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network security, compliance and governance. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
A company uses AWS Direct Connect to connect its on-premises network to a VPC. The security team wants to ensure that traffic between the on-premises network and the VPC is encrypted using IPSec. Which solution meets this requirement?
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
Establish an IPSec VPN connection over the Direct Connect public virtual interface using a customer gateway and a virtual private gateway.
Option A is correct because it establishes an IPSec VPN tunnel over a Direct Connect public virtual interface (VIF), which encrypts traffic between the on-premises network and the VPC. The customer gateway and virtual private gateway create a site-to-site VPN connection that uses IPSec to secure all data traversing the Direct Connect link, meeting the encryption requirement without relying on physical-layer security.
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.
- ✓
Establish an IPSec VPN connection over the Direct Connect public virtual interface using a customer gateway and a virtual private gateway.
Why this is correct
This combination provides encrypted IPSec tunnels over the Direct Connect connection.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a private virtual interface (VIF) on the Direct Connect connection and enable encryption at the physical layer.
Why it's wrong here
Direct Connect does not provide encryption at the physical layer; encryption is optional and must be implemented at a higher layer.
- ✗
Use VPC endpoints (Gateway Endpoints) for all traffic between on-premises and the VPC.
Why it's wrong here
VPC endpoints allow private access to AWS services but do not encrypt traffic between on-premises and the VPC.
- ✗
Attach the Direct Connect virtual interface to a Transit Gateway and enable multicast.
Why it's wrong here
Transit Gateway does not provide encryption; multicast is unrelated.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume a private virtual interface inherently provides encryption, but Direct Connect private VIFs are unencrypted by default, and IPSec must be explicitly layered over a public VIF or via a VPN appliance.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When using an IPSec VPN over a Direct Connect public VIF, the VPN tunnel is established over the public internet-like path of the public VIF, but the traffic remains within the AWS network and does not traverse the public internet. The IPSec protocol (IKEv1 or IKEv2) negotiates security associations (SAs) using AES-256 encryption and SHA-256 hashing, ensuring confidentiality and integrity. In real-world scenarios, this approach is often used for hybrid environments where regulatory compliance mandates encryption, but customers want the low latency and reliability of Direct Connect rather than a standard internet-based VPN.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ANS-C01 question test?
Network Security, Compliance and Governance — This question tests Network Security, Compliance and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Establish an IPSec VPN connection over the Direct Connect public virtual interface using a customer gateway and a virtual private gateway. — Option A is correct because it establishes an IPSec VPN tunnel over a Direct Connect public virtual interface (VIF), which encrypts traffic between the on-premises network and the VPC. The customer gateway and virtual private gateway create a site-to-site VPN connection that uses IPSec to secure all data traversing the Direct Connect link, meeting the encryption requirement without relying on physical-layer security.
What should I do if I get this ANS-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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
4 more ways this is tested on ANS-C01
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is using AWS Direct Connect to connect its on-premises network to AWS. The company wants to encrypt all traffic between its on-premises network and AWS. Which solution meets this requirement?
easy- A.Use a public virtual interface (VIF) and route traffic through a NAT gateway.
- ✓ B.Use a private VIF and establish an IPsec VPN tunnel over the Direct Connect connection.
- C.Use a private virtual interface (VIF) and enable encryption on the Direct Connect connection.
- D.Use a private VIF and enable TLS on all applications.
Why B: Option B is correct because AWS Direct Connect does not natively encrypt traffic; it provides a private, dedicated network connection. To meet the encryption requirement, you can establish an IPsec VPN tunnel over the private VIF, which encrypts all traffic between the on-premises network and the VPC. This approach combines the low latency and reliability of Direct Connect with the security of IPsec encryption.
Variation 2. A company uses AWS Direct Connect to connect its on-premises network to AWS. The security team wants to encrypt all traffic traversing the Direct Connect link. Which solution should be used?
medium- A.Enable encryption on the Direct Connect virtual interface
- B.Use TLS on all applications that communicate across the link
- ✓ C.Establish an IPsec VPN tunnel over the Direct Connect link
- D.Use VPC endpoints for all AWS services accessed
Why C: Option D is correct because IPsec VPN over Direct Connect provides encryption while maintaining low latency. Option A is wrong because Direct Connect does not inherently encrypt. Option B is wrong because TLS is for application layer, not link. Option C is wrong because VPC endpoints are for specific services.
Variation 3. A company has a Direct Connect connection to AWS. They want to encrypt all traffic between their on-premises network and their VPC. Which solution meets this requirement?
hard- A.Use MACsec on the Direct Connect connection.
- ✓ B.Set up a VPN connection over the Direct Connect link using IPsec.
- C.Enable encryption on the Direct Connect virtual interface.
- D.Use TLS for all traffic between on-premises and AWS.
Why B: Option D is correct because Direct Connect does not provide encryption; you must use IPsec VPN over the Direct Connect link or a MACsec at the physical layer. Option A is wrong because Direct Connect itself does not encrypt traffic. Option B is wrong because TLS is for application layer, not all traffic. Option C is wrong because AWS Site-to-Site VPN can be used over Direct Connect to encrypt traffic.
Variation 4. A company is using AWS Direct Connect to connect on-premises to AWS. The security team wants to encrypt all traffic traversing the Direct Connect link. Which TWO options can achieve this?
hard- ✓ A.Establish an IPsec VPN tunnel over the Direct Connect virtual interface
- ✓ B.Enable MACsec on the Direct Connect dedicated connection
- C.Use TLS on all applications
- D.Use VPC gateway endpoints for S3
- E.Rely on Direct Connect's physical security
Why A: Option A is correct because IPsec VPN over Direct Connect can encrypt traffic. Option D is correct because MACsec provides encryption at Layer 2 for dedicated connections. Option B is wrong because TLS is for application-level encryption, not link-level. Option C is wrong because VPC endpoints do not encrypt the Direct Connect link. Option E is wrong because Direct Connect by itself does not provide encryption.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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