PAS-C01 Migration Practice Question
A company is migrating a web application to AWS and wants to improve security. The application uses a classic three-tier architecture. Which TWO security measures should the company implement?
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 AWS WAF to protect the web tier
Using security groups as a virtual firewall (Option E) and AWS WAF to protect against common web exploits (Option D) are both security best practices. Option A (Direct internet access for database tier) is insecure. Option B (S3 Transfer Acceleration) is for speed, not security. Option C (Place all tiers in public subnets) is insecure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Allow direct internet access to the database tier
Why it's wrong here
Direct internet access to the database tier is insecure; the database should be placed in a private subnet and access restricted.
- ✗
Use Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why it's wrong here
Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration is used to speed up uploads to S3, not a security measure.
- ✗
Place all tiers in public subnets
Why it's wrong here
Placing all tiers in public subnets exposes them to the internet, which is insecure; web tier can be in public subnet, but app and database should be in private subnets.
- ✓
Use AWS WAF to protect the web tier
Why this is correct
AWS WAF is a web application firewall that protects web applications from common exploits, making it a valid security measure.
- ✓
Use security groups to control traffic between tiers
Why this is correct
Security groups act as virtual firewalls to control traffic between tiers, enforcing least privilege access; this is a security best practice.
Visual reference
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PAS-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 PAS-C01 exam.