- A
Add an HTTP listener on port 80 with a redirect action to HTTPS on port 443, and configure an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate
Redirecting all HTTP requests to HTTPS forces clients to use TLS when they access the application. Configuring an HTTPS listener with an ACM certificate ensures the ALB terminates TLS on port 443 using a valid certificate, directly enforcing encryption in transit for client-to-ALB traffic.
- B
Enable TLS only on the target group so that traffic between the ALB and targets is encrypted, even if clients connect via HTTP
Why wrong: Encrypting traffic between the ALB and the targets does not satisfy the requirement, which is about client traffic. If clients still connect to the ALB using HTTP, their traffic is not encrypted in transit from the client to the ALB.
- C
Turn on S3 server-side encryption to ensure data is encrypted in transit from clients to the ALB
Why wrong: S3 server-side encryption protects data at rest in S3. It does not encrypt the client-to-ALB network connection, which is determined by the ALB listener protocol (HTTP vs HTTPS).
- D
Remove port 80 access by removing the port 80 listener and leave only a default target group
Why wrong: Removing the HTTP listener would cause HTTP clients to fail (no redirect or graceful migration path). A redirect to HTTPS both enforces HTTPS and maintains compatibility by guiding clients to the secure endpoint.
SAA-C03 Design Secure Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design secure architectures. 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 web application behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB) currently allows client connections over HTTP (port 80). The security policy requires all client traffic to use HTTPS. What is the best ALB change to enforce 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
Add an HTTP listener on port 80 with a redirect action to HTTPS on port 443, and configure an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate
Option A is correct because it uses an ALB HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect action, which is the most efficient and AWS-native way to enforce HTTPS-only traffic. The HTTP listener on port 80 automatically redirects all client requests to the HTTPS listener on port 443, which terminates TLS using an ACM certificate. This approach requires no changes to client applications and ensures compliance with the security policy at the load balancer level.
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.
- ✓
Add an HTTP listener on port 80 with a redirect action to HTTPS on port 443, and configure an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate
Why this is correct
Redirecting all HTTP requests to HTTPS forces clients to use TLS when they access the application. Configuring an HTTPS listener with an ACM certificate ensures the ALB terminates TLS on port 443 using a valid certificate, directly enforcing encryption in transit for client-to-ALB traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable TLS only on the target group so that traffic between the ALB and targets is encrypted, even if clients connect via HTTP
Why it's wrong here
Encrypting traffic between the ALB and the targets does not satisfy the requirement, which is about client traffic. If clients still connect to the ALB using HTTP, their traffic is not encrypted in transit from the client to the ALB.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where the requirement is to encrypt traffic between the ALB and backend targets (e.g., to meet compliance for internal traffic), and client-to-ALB encryption is handled separately or not required.
- ✗
Turn on S3 server-side encryption to ensure data is encrypted in transit from clients to the ALB
Why it's wrong here
S3 server-side encryption protects data at rest in S3. It does not encrypt the client-to-ALB network connection, which is determined by the ALB listener protocol (HTTP vs HTTPS).
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct in a scenario where the question asks for encrypting data stored in an S3 bucket, such as 'How to ensure objects in an S3 bucket are encrypted at rest?'
- ✗
Remove port 80 access by removing the port 80 listener and leave only a default target group
Why it's wrong here
Removing the HTTP listener would cause HTTP clients to fail (no redirect or graceful migration path). A redirect to HTTPS both enforces HTTPS and maintains compatibility by guiding clients to the secure endpoint.
When this WOULD be correct
If the security policy required that all client traffic must be HTTPS and that any HTTP requests should be rejected (not redirected), then removing the HTTP listener would be correct. For example, a strict policy that no HTTP traffic is allowed at all.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The SAA-C03 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Add an HTTP listener on port 80 with a redirect action to HTTPS on port 443, and configure an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificateCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Redirecting all HTTP requests to HTTPS forces clients to use TLS when they access the application. Configuring an HTTPS listener with an ACM certificate ensures the ALB terminates TLS on port 443 using a valid certificate, directly enforcing encryption in transit for client-to-ALB traffic.
✗Enable TLS only on the target group so that traffic between the ALB and targets is encrypted, even if clients connect via HTTPWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Enabling TLS on the target group only encrypts traffic between the ALB and targets, but does not enforce HTTPS between clients and the ALB, leaving client traffic unencrypted over HTTP.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where the requirement is to encrypt traffic between the ALB and backend targets (e.g., to meet compliance for internal traffic), and client-to-ALB encryption is handled separately or not required.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the need for end-to-end encryption with the requirement to encrypt client traffic, mistakenly thinking that securing the target group alone satisfies the HTTPS requirement.
✗Turn on S3 server-side encryption to ensure data is encrypted in transit from clients to the ALBWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
S3 server-side encryption encrypts data at rest in Amazon S3, not data in transit. It does not affect traffic between clients and the ALB, so it cannot enforce HTTPS for client connections.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct in a scenario where the question asks for encrypting data stored in an S3 bucket, such as 'How to ensure objects in an S3 bucket are encrypted at rest?'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse encryption at rest with encryption in transit, or mistakenly think S3 can be used to secure ALB traffic due to its encryption capabilities.
✗Remove port 80 access by removing the port 80 listener and leave only a default target groupWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Removing the port 80 listener would drop HTTP requests entirely, but the requirement is to redirect HTTP to HTTPS, not to block HTTP. This would break clients that still attempt HTTP connections.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the security policy required that all client traffic must be HTTPS and that any HTTP requests should be rejected (not redirected), then removing the HTTP listener would be correct. For example, a strict policy that no HTTP traffic is allowed at all.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that simply removing HTTP access enforces HTTPS, but they overlook the need to redirect existing HTTP clients to HTTPS to maintain accessibility and user experience.
Analysis generated from the official SAA-C03blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think removing the HTTP listener or enabling TLS on the target group is sufficient, but the correct approach is to use a redirect action on the HTTP listener to enforce HTTPS without breaking client connectivity.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The ALB redirect action uses an HTTP 301 or 302 status code to instruct the client's browser to retry the request over HTTPS. This is more efficient than configuring a web server on EC2 instances to handle the redirect, as it offloads the redirect processing to the load balancer and reduces latency. Additionally, the ALB can automatically renew ACM certificates, simplifying certificate management.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Design Secure Architectures — This question tests Design Secure Architectures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add an HTTP listener on port 80 with a redirect action to HTTPS on port 443, and configure an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate — Option A is correct because it uses an ALB HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect action, which is the most efficient and AWS-native way to enforce HTTPS-only traffic. The HTTP listener on port 80 automatically redirects all client requests to the HTTPS listener on port 443, which terminates TLS using an ACM certificate. This approach requires no changes to client applications and ensures compliance with the security policy at the load balancer level.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 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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