Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Site-to-Site VPN. This service is the correct choice because it establishes an encrypted internet connection between on-premises and VPC by creating IPsec tunnels (using IKEv1 or IKEv2) that secure all traffic as it traverses the public internet, directly meeting the requirement for both encryption and internet-based connectivity. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of hybrid networking and the distinction between VPNs and dedicated connections like AWS Direct Connect, which uses private lines rather than the internet. A common trap is confusing Site-to-Site VPN with Client VPN—remember that Site-to-Site connects entire networks, while Client VPN connects individual users. For a memory tip, think “S2S = Site-to-Site = Secure tunnel over the public internet,” and recall that IPsec is the encryption protocol that makes the internet safe for your on-premises to VPC traffic.
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of networking and content delivery. 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 SysOps administrator needs to ensure that all traffic between an on-premises data center and the AWS VPC is encrypted and goes over the internet. Which AWS service should be used?
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
VPN encrypts traffic over the internet.
VPC Peering
Why wrong: VPC Peering is for VPC-to-VPC, not on-premises.
AWS Transit Gateway
Why wrong: Transit Gateway is a central hub, but requires VPN or Direct Connect for on-premises.
AWS Direct Connect
Why wrong: Direct Connect is a private physical connection, not over the internet.
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 Site-to-Site VPN
AWS Site-to-Site VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between an on-premises data center and an AWS VPC using IPsec (IKEv1/IKEv2) over the public internet. This meets the requirement for encryption and internet-based connectivity, as the VPN traffic traverses the internet but is secured by IPsec tunnels.
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 Site-to-Site VPN
Why this is correct
VPN encrypts traffic over the internet.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
VPC Peering
Why it's wrong here
VPC Peering is for VPC-to-VPC, not on-premises.
AWS Transit Gateway
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
Direct Connect is a private physical connection, not over the internet.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Site-to-Site VPN with AWS Direct Connect, assuming Direct Connect provides encryption by default, but Direct Connect is a private connection that does not include encryption unless a VPN is layered on top.
Detailed technical explanation
AWS Site-to-Site VPN uses two IPsec tunnels per VPN connection for high availability, with each tunnel terminating on a separate AWS VPN endpoint in different Availability Zones. The VPN supports both static routing and dynamic routing via BGP (using the Border Gateway Protocol), and can use pre-shared keys or certificate-based authentication. A real-world scenario where this matters is when an organization must comply with encryption mandates (e.g., PCI DSS) but cannot justify the cost of Direct Connect, so they use Site-to-Site VPN over the internet.
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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Networking and Content Delivery — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Networking and Content Delivery — This question tests Networking and Content Delivery — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Site-to-Site VPN — AWS Site-to-Site VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between an on-premises data center and an AWS VPC using IPsec (IKEv1/IKEv2) over the public internet. This meets the requirement for encryption and internet-based connectivity, as the VPN traffic traverses the internet but is secured by IPsec tunnels.
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 SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.
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