Quick Answer
The answer is to use an AWS Site-to-Site VPN with IPsec to encrypt traffic between your on-premises data center and S3. This is correct because IPsec operates at the network layer (Layer 3), creating an encrypted tunnel that protects the entire IP packet as it traverses the public internet, ensuring both confidentiality and integrity for all data in transit. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of network-layer encryption versus application-layer options like HTTPS; a common trap is choosing S3’s default HTTPS endpoint, which only encrypts data from the client to S3 but does not secure the full path from your on-premises network. Remember that when the requirement specifies “between on-premises and AWS,” you need a site-to-site VPN or AWS Direct Connect with encryption—not just client-side HTTPS. Memory tip: “VPN for the path, HTTPS for the app.”
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. 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 is using Amazon S3 to store sensitive data. The security team wants to ensure that all data is encrypted in transit between the company's on-premises data center and AWS. Which solution should be used?
Use an AWS Site-to-Site VPN with IPsec to encrypt traffic
VPN provides encrypted transit.
Use AWS CloudHSM to encrypt the data in transit
Why wrong: CloudHSM is an HSM, not for transit encryption.
Enable SSE-S3 on the S3 bucket
Why wrong: SSE-S3 is for at-rest encryption.
Use AWS KMS to encrypt the data before transmission
Why wrong: KMS is for key management, not transit encryption.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Use an AWS Site-to-Site VPN with IPsec to encrypt traffic
An AWS Site-to-Site VPN with IPsec is the correct solution because it creates an encrypted tunnel between the on-premises data center and AWS, ensuring all data in transit is protected. IPsec operates at the network layer (Layer 3) and encrypts the entire IP packet, providing confidentiality and integrity for data moving over the public internet. This directly addresses the requirement to encrypt data in transit between the two environments.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
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 with IPsec to encrypt traffic
Why this is correct
VPN provides encrypted transit.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Use AWS CloudHSM to encrypt the data in transit
Why it's wrong here
CloudHSM is an HSM, not for transit encryption.
Enable SSE-S3 on the S3 bucket
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 is for at-rest encryption.
Use AWS KMS to encrypt the data before transmission
Why it's wrong here
KMS is for key management, not transit encryption.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse encryption at rest (SSE-S3, KMS) with encryption in transit, and assume that encrypting data before sending it (e.g., with KMS) automatically secures the transmission channel, when in fact a transport-layer encryption mechanism like IPsec or TLS is required to protect data during transit.
Detailed technical explanation
An AWS Site-to-Site VPN uses IPsec in tunnel mode, encapsulating the original IP packet within a new IP packet with an IPsec header, and encrypting the payload using protocols like ESP (Encapsulating Security Payload). The VPN connection terminates on a virtual private gateway or a transit gateway on the AWS side and a customer gateway device on-premises, establishing a secure link over the internet. In real-world scenarios, this is critical for hybrid architectures where sensitive data must traverse the public internet, as it prevents eavesdropping and tampering without requiring dedicated private lines.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Use an AWS Site-to-Site VPN with IPsec to encrypt traffic — An AWS Site-to-Site VPN with IPsec is the correct solution because it creates an encrypted tunnel between the on-premises data center and AWS, ensuring all data in transit is protected. IPsec operates at the network layer (Layer 3) and encrypts the entire IP packet, providing confidentiality and integrity for data moving over the public internet. This directly addresses the requirement to encrypt data in transit between the two environments.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This SCS-C02 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 SCS-C02 exam.
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