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 ensure that data in transit between an on-premises data center and Amazon S3 is encrypted. Which AWS service should be used to establish a dedicated encrypted connection?
AWS Transit Gateway
Why wrong: Central hub, not a connection type.
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
Why wrong: Uses public internet.
AWS Direct Connect with VPN
Dedicated private connection with encryption.
AWS Client VPN
Why wrong: For remote users.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS Direct Connect with VPN
AWS Direct Connect provides a dedicated, private network connection from an on-premises data center to AWS, but it does not inherently encrypt data in transit. By combining Direct Connect with a VPN (IPsec tunnel), you get both a dedicated connection and encryption of all traffic between the on-premises network and Amazon S3. This ensures data in transit is protected while avoiding the public internet.
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.
AWS Transit Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Central hub, not a connection type.
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
Why it's wrong here
Uses public internet.
AWS Direct Connect with VPN
Why this is correct
Dedicated private connection with encryption.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Client VPN
Why it's wrong here
For remote users.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often assume Direct Connect alone provides encryption, but it does not—it only provides a private, dedicated physical link; encryption must be added via a VPN overlay, which is why the combination is the correct answer.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Direct Connect uses 802.1Q VLANs and BGP peering to establish Layer 2 or Layer 3 connectivity, while the VPN overlay (IPsec in tunnel mode with IKEv2) encrypts the payload. A common real-world scenario is a financial institution that must meet PCI DSS compliance, requiring both dedicated bandwidth and encryption for all data in transit to S3; the Direct Connect + VPN combination satisfies both requirements without traversing the public internet.
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
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Data Protection — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Data Protection practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All SCS-C02 questions
1,738 questions across all exam domains
AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
SCS-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Threat Detection and Incident Response.
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Security Logging and Monitoring.
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Identity and Access Management.
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Management and Security Governance.
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Infrastructure Security.
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Data Protection.
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 fundamentals.
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 scenario.
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Direct Connect with VPN — AWS Direct Connect provides a dedicated, private network connection from an on-premises data center to AWS, but it does not inherently encrypt data in transit. By combining Direct Connect with a VPN (IPsec tunnel), you get both a dedicated connection and encryption of all traffic between the on-premises network and Amazon S3. This ensures data in transit is protected while avoiding the public internet.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.