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 needs to encrypt data in transit between an EC2 instance and an RDS database. Which option should be used?
Enable encryption at rest for the RDS instance
Why wrong: Encryption at rest does not protect in transit.
Configure the database to use SSL/TLS connections
SSL/TLS encrypts data in transit.
Use an AWS KMS key to encrypt the connection
Why wrong: KMS is for key management, not transit encryption.
Enable EBS encryption on the EC2 instance
Why wrong: EBS encryption is at rest.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Configure the database to use SSL/TLS connections
Option B is correct because encrypting data in transit between an EC2 instance and an RDS database requires the use of SSL/TLS protocols to secure the communication channel. AWS RDS supports SSL/TLS connections by enabling the `require_secure_transport` parameter or using a certificate bundle on the client side, ensuring that all data transmitted over the network is encrypted and protected from eavesdropping or man-in-the-middle attacks.
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.
Enable encryption at rest for the RDS instance
Why it's wrong here
Encryption at rest does not protect in transit.
Configure the database to use SSL/TLS connections
Why this is correct
SSL/TLS encrypts data in transit.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Use an AWS KMS key to encrypt the connection
Why it's wrong here
KMS is for key management, not transit encryption.
Enable EBS encryption on the EC2 instance
Why it's wrong here
EBS encryption is at rest.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse encryption at rest (EBS or RDS encryption) with encryption in transit, or mistakenly think that KMS keys can be directly applied to network connections, when in fact SSL/TLS is the correct mechanism for securing data in motion.
Detailed technical explanation
SSL/TLS for RDS uses X.509 certificates from a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) to authenticate the server and establish an encrypted session using protocols like TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3. The client (EC2 instance) must download the appropriate CA certificate bundle (e.g., `rds-ca-2019-root.pem`) and configure the database driver (e.g., MySQL JDBC with `useSSL=true&requireSSL=true`) to enforce encryption. In a real-world scenario, failing to enforce SSL/TLS can leave the connection vulnerable to packet sniffing, especially when traversing public subnets or VPC peering connections.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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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: Configure the database to use SSL/TLS connections — Option B is correct because encrypting data in transit between an EC2 instance and an RDS database requires the use of SSL/TLS protocols to secure the communication channel. AWS RDS supports SSL/TLS connections by enabling the `require_secure_transport` parameter or using a certificate bundle on the client side, ensuring that all data transmitted over the network is encrypted and protected from eavesdropping or man-in-the-middle attacks.
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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