SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
A company wants to protect data in transit between its on-premises network and Amazon VPC using IPsec VPN. Which AWS service should be used to establish this VPN connection?
⚠ Common exam trap
SCS-C02 often tests the distinction between Site-to-Site VPN (network-to-network IPsec) and Client VPN (user-to-network) — the trap is selecting Client VPN or Transit Gateway when the requirement is specifically an IPsec VPN between an on-premises network and a VPC.
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
✓
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
AWS Site-to-Site VPN is the service used to establish an IPsec VPN connection between an on-premises network and an Amazon VPC. It creates a secure tunnel over the internet using IPsec, terminating on a Virtual Private Gateway (VGW) or Transit Gateway on the AWS side and a Customer Gateway on the on-premises side.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
AWS Client VPN
Why it's wrong here
AWS Client VPN is a managed remote-access VPN service that allows individual users or devices to authenticate and securely connect to a VPC from anywhere using an OpenVPN-based client. It does not create a persistent site-to-site IPsec tunnel between an on-premises network gateway and AWS, so it cannot protect traffic for the company's entire on-premises environment. Therefore, while it encrypts client traffic, it is the wrong choice for a site-to-site data-in-transit requirement.
- ✓
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
Why this is correct
AWS Site-to-Site VPN creates encrypted IPsec tunnels between an on-premises customer gateway device and an AWS virtual private gateway or transit gateway attachment. It automatically provisions two tunnels for high availability, encrypts traffic as it traverses the public internet, and supports dynamic BGP or static routing. This directly satisfies the requirement to protect data in transit between the on-premises network and the VPC.
- ✗
AWS Transit Gateway
Why it's wrong here
AWS Transit Gateway is a regional network transit hub that centralizes routing between VPCs and on-premises networks via attachments, but it does not encrypt traffic by itself. A Site-to-Site VPN attachment or Direct Connect virtual interface is required for actual connectivity to an on-premises data center. Choosing Transit Gateway alone would leave data in transit unprotected, so it is not a substitute for the VPN service.
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
AWS Direct Connect provides a dedicated, private physical connection from an on-premises data center to AWS through a colocation facility, reducing latency and bandwidth costs, but the raw link does not encrypt traffic by default. Data crossing a Direct Connect connection is not automatically protected in transit unless you layer a Site-to-Site VPN (IPsec) or another encryption mechanism on top. Because the requirement is specifically about protecting data in transit, Direct Connect alone does not satisfy it.
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.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
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.