- A
Use an AWS Site-to-Site VPN connection between the tiers
Why wrong: Incorrect. AWS Site-to-Site VPN is for connecting on-premises networks to AWS, not for traffic between EC2 instances within the same VPC. It adds unnecessary latency and complexity.
- B
Use security groups to allow traffic only between the instances, with IPsec configured
Correct. Configuring IPsec directly on the EC2 instances and using security groups to control traffic provides encryption in transit with minimal latency, as it works at the network layer without additional components.
- C
Use an Application Load Balancer with TLS termination in front of the database tier
Why wrong: Incorrect. An Application Load Balancer with TLS termination adds an extra network hop and processing delay, increasing latency. It is not ideal for low-latency internal encryption.
- D
Install TLS certificates on each EC2 instance and enable HTTPS
Why wrong: Incorrect. Installing TLS certificates and enabling HTTPS encrypts traffic at the application layer, which adds CPU overhead and latency compared to network-layer encryption like IPsec.
PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of operations and maintenance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
An SAP system is running on EC2 instances in a VPC. The security team requires that all traffic between the SAP application and database tiers be encrypted in transit. Which solution meets this requirement with minimal latency?
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 security groups to allow traffic only between the instances, with IPsec configured
The correct answer is B. Security groups act as a virtual firewall, and when combined with IPsec configuration on the EC2 instances, they provide end-to-end encryption between the application and database tiers. This method introduces minimal latency because the encryption is handled by the instances themselves without additional network appliances or load balancers. Option A is incorrect because an AWS Site-to-Site VPN is designed for connecting on-premises networks to AWS, not for internal traffic between tiers. Option C is incorrect because an Application Load Balancer with TLS termination adds unnecessary latency and does not encrypt traffic beyond the load balancer. Option D is incorrect because enabling HTTPS alone does not encrypt database traffic, as database protocols typically use different ports and are not HTTP-based.
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.
- ✗
Use an AWS Site-to-Site VPN connection between the tiers
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AWS Site-to-Site VPN is for connecting on-premises networks to AWS, not for traffic between EC2 instances within the same VPC. It adds unnecessary latency and complexity.
- ✓
Use security groups to allow traffic only between the instances, with IPsec configured
Why this is correct
Correct. Configuring IPsec directly on the EC2 instances and using security groups to control traffic provides encryption in transit with minimal latency, as it works at the network layer without additional components.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use an Application Load Balancer with TLS termination in front of the database tier
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. An Application Load Balancer with TLS termination adds an extra network hop and processing delay, increasing latency. It is not ideal for low-latency internal encryption.
- ✗
Install TLS certificates on each EC2 instance and enable HTTPS
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PAS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PAS-C01 question test?
Operations and Maintenance — This question tests Operations and Maintenance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use security groups to allow traffic only between the instances, with IPsec configured — The correct answer is B. Security groups act as a virtual firewall, and when combined with IPsec configuration on the EC2 instances, they provide end-to-end encryption between the application and database tiers. This method introduces minimal latency because the encryption is handled by the instances themselves without additional network appliances or load balancers. Option A is incorrect because an AWS Site-to-Site VPN is designed for connecting on-premises networks to AWS, not for internal traffic between tiers. Option C is incorrect because an Application Load Balancer with TLS termination adds unnecessary latency and does not encrypt traffic beyond the load balancer. Option D is incorrect because enabling HTTPS alone does not encrypt database traffic, as database protocols typically use different ports and are not HTTP-based.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which PAS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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