This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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.
A company runs a web application on EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The application stores sensitive data in an S3 bucket. The security team has mandated that all data in transit to the S3 bucket must be encrypted using TLS. The SysOps administrator configured the application to use HTTPS endpoints for S3. However, a security audit reveals that some requests to S3 are still being sent over HTTP. The administrator checks the VPC Flow Logs and sees that the EC2 instances are communicating with the S3 bucket via a VPC endpoint. The company also uses an S3 bucket policy that allows access only from the VPC endpoint. What is the most likely reason that some requests are sent over HTTP?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The application is not configured to use HTTPS for all S3 requests.
Option B is correct because the VPC endpoint for S3 uses AWS API calls; the encryption (HTTPS) is handled at the application level, not the endpoint. If the application does not use HTTPS, the traffic will be plain HTTP. Option A is wrong because the bucket policy does not enforce encryption. Option C is wrong because the endpoint is for S3, not for enforcing encryption. Option D is wrong because the VPC endpoint does not automatically encrypt traffic.
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.
✗
The VPC endpoint is not encrypting traffic between the instances and the endpoint.
Why it's wrong here
Traffic to the endpoint is within the VPC and not automatically encrypted.
✗
The VPC endpoint is configured for HTTP instead of HTTPS.
Why it's wrong here
VPC endpoints do not have an HTTP/HTTPS setting; they use the service's API.
✗
The S3 bucket policy does not require HTTPS for requests.
Why it's wrong here
The bucket policy can require HTTPS via a condition, but the question doesn't indicate that.
✓
The application is not configured to use HTTPS for all S3 requests.
Why this is correct
The application must use HTTPS endpoints; otherwise, traffic is HTTP.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
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 SOA-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.
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The application is not configured to use HTTPS for all S3 requests. — Option B is correct because the VPC endpoint for S3 uses AWS API calls; the encryption (HTTPS) is handled at the application level, not the endpoint. If the application does not use HTTPS, the traffic will be plain HTTP. Option A is wrong because the bucket policy does not enforce encryption. Option C is wrong because the endpoint is for S3, not for enforcing encryption. Option D is wrong because the VPC endpoint does not automatically encrypt traffic.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SOA-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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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