The answer is AWS Direct Connect with encryption (MACsec) and AWS VPN, as both are valid methods to encrypt data in transit between on-premises and AWS. AWS VPN creates an encrypted tunnel over the public internet using IPSec, while Direct Connect with MACsec or IPSec provides a private, dedicated connection with link-layer encryption, ensuring data confidentiality even without traversing the internet. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between connectivity options that inherently encrypt traffic versus those that do not—a common trap is assuming VPC Peering or S3 Transfer Acceleration provide encryption, but they only handle routing or speed, not security. Remember the memory tip: “VPN is virtual and encrypted; Direct Connect is direct but needs MACsec to be secure.”
SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. 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.
Which TWO of the following are valid methods to protect data in transit between an on-premises data center and AWS? (Choose two.)
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
Options B and C are correct. AWS VPN creates an encrypted tunnel over the internet. Direct Connect with encryption (MACsec or IPSec) provides a private connection with encryption. Option A is wrong because VPC Peering does not encrypt traffic. Option D is wrong because S3 Transfer Acceleration only speeds up transfers, does not encrypt. Option E is wrong because CloudFront uses HTTPS for edge, but the origin connection may not be encrypted unless configured.
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.
✗
Amazon CloudFront with HTTPS-only viewer protocol policy
Why it's wrong here
CloudFront encrypts viewer traffic, but the connection from CloudFront to the origin may be unencrypted unless specified.
✓
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
Why this is correct
Site-to-Site VPN uses IPSec to encrypt all traffic between on-premises and AWS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
VPC Peering
Why it's wrong here
VPC Peering does not encrypt traffic; it is a network connection.
✗
S3 Transfer Acceleration
Why it's wrong here
Transfer Acceleration only improves speed, not encryption.
✓
AWS Direct Connect with encryption (MACsec)
Why this is correct
Direct Connect can be encrypted using MACsec (802.1AE) to provide data-in-transit encryption.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SCS-C02 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.
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Site-to-Site VPN — Options B and C are correct. AWS VPN creates an encrypted tunnel over the internet. Direct Connect with encryption (MACsec or IPSec) provides a private connection with encryption. Option A is wrong because VPC Peering does not encrypt traffic. Option D is wrong because S3 Transfer Acceleration only speeds up transfers, does not encrypt. Option E is wrong because CloudFront uses HTTPS for edge, but the origin connection may not be encrypted unless configured.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SCS-C02 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
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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company wants to protect data in transit between an on-premises data center and AWS over the internet. Which AWS service should they use to create a dedicated, encrypted connection?
easy
A.AWS Direct Connect
B.AWS Transit Gateway
✓ C.AWS Site-to-Site VPN
D.AWS Client VPN
Why C: AWS Site-to-Site VPN provides an encrypted tunnel over the internet between on-premises and AWS. AWS Direct Connect provides a dedicated connection but is not encrypted by default; IPsec can be added. AWS Transit Gateway is a network transit hub, not a connection type. AWS Client VPN is for individual clients. Option B is correct.
Variation 2. 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?
easy
A.AWS Transit Gateway
B.AWS Site-to-Site VPN
✓ C.AWS Direct Connect with VPN
D.AWS Client VPN
Why C: 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.
Variation 3. A company wants to ensure that all data transferred between its on-premises data center and AWS is encrypted in transit. Which AWS service should be used to meet this requirement?
easy
A.Amazon CloudFront
B.AWS Transit Gateway
C.AWS Direct Connect
✓ D.AWS Site-to-Site VPN
Why D: Option B is correct because AWS Site-to-Site VPN encrypts traffic between on-premises and AWS. Option A is wrong because Direct Connect does not encrypt by default. Option C is wrong because CloudFront is for content delivery. Option D is wrong because Transit Gateway is a network transit hub, not encryption.
Variation 4. 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?
medium
A.AWS Client VPN
✓ B.AWS Site-to-Site VPN
C.AWS Transit Gateway
D.AWS Direct Connect
Why B: Option A is correct because AWS Site-to-Site VPN provides IPsec VPN connections between on-premises networks and VPCs. Option B is incorrect because AWS Direct Connect is a dedicated connection, not IPsec VPN. Option C is incorrect because Client VPN is for individual users. Option D is incorrect because Transit Gateway is used to connect multiple VPCs, but the VPN connection is established using Site-to-Site VPN.
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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
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