- A
Use an AWS Global Accelerator to route traffic to the instances and enable encryption.
Why wrong: Global Accelerator does not encrypt traffic between ALB and instances.
- B
Create a network ACL that allows inbound HTTPS traffic from the ALB subnet and outbound HTTPS responses. Use AWS Certificate Manager to install a certificate on the instances.
Why wrong: Network ACLs are stateless; security groups are more appropriate. Also, ACM cannot install certificates on instances directly.
- C
Enable S3 VPC endpoint and configure the ALB to forward traffic to the instance via the endpoint.
Why wrong: This does not address encryption between ALB and instances.
- D
Configure the target group to use HTTPS protocol, install a TLS certificate on the EC2 instances, and update the security group on the instances to allow inbound traffic only from the ALB's security group.
This ensures encryption and restricts traffic source.
How to Encrypt Traffic Between ALB and EC2 Instances Using HTTPS Target Group
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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. A key principle to apply: target Group Protocol. 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 user data in an S3 bucket. The security team requires that traffic between the ALB and the EC2 instances be encrypted, and that the EC2 instances only accept traffic from the ALB. Currently, the ALB terminates HTTPS and forwards HTTP to the instances. The SysOps administrator needs to implement the required security controls. Which solution should the administrator implement?
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
Configure the target group to use HTTPS protocol, install a TLS certificate on the EC2 instances, and update the security group on the instances to allow inbound traffic only from the ALB's security group.
Option D is correct because configuring the target group to use HTTPS ensures encryption between ALB and instances, and updating the security group to allow traffic only from the ALB's security group restricts access to only the ALB. Option A is incorrect because Global Accelerator does not directly encrypt traffic between ALB and instances and adds unnecessary complexity. Option B is incorrect because network ACLs are stateless and not suitable for this requirement; also, installing certificates via ACM on instances is not straightforward. Option C is incorrect because S3 VPC endpoint is for S3 access, not for encrypting ALB-to-instance traffic.
Key principle: Target Group Protocol
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use an AWS Global Accelerator to route traffic to the instances and enable encryption.
Why it's wrong here
Global Accelerator does not encrypt traffic between ALB and instances.
- ✗
Create a network ACL that allows inbound HTTPS traffic from the ALB subnet and outbound HTTPS responses. Use AWS Certificate Manager to install a certificate on the instances.
Why it's wrong here
Network ACLs are stateless; security groups are more appropriate. Also, ACM cannot install certificates on instances directly.
- ✗
Enable S3 VPC endpoint and configure the ALB to forward traffic to the instance via the endpoint.
Why it's wrong here
This does not address encryption between ALB and instances.
- ✓
Configure the target group to use HTTPS protocol, install a TLS certificate on the EC2 instances, and update the security group on the instances to allow inbound traffic only from the ALB's security group.
Why this is correct
This ensures encryption and restricts traffic source.
Related concept
Target Group Protocol
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common trap is to think that using a network ACL or a VPC endpoint can solve the encryption and access restriction requirements, but the correct approach is to use HTTPS on the target group and security group referencing.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Target Group Protocol
- Security Group Reference
- HTTPS Listener
- TLS Certificate
TExam Day Tips
- 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
Target Group Protocol
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review target Group Protocol, then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Target Group Protocol.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure the target group to use HTTPS protocol, install a TLS certificate on the EC2 instances, and update the security group on the instances to allow inbound traffic only from the ALB's security group. — Option D is correct because configuring the target group to use HTTPS ensures encryption between ALB and instances, and updating the security group to allow traffic only from the ALB's security group restricts access to only the ALB. Option A is incorrect because Global Accelerator does not directly encrypt traffic between ALB and instances and adds unnecessary complexity. Option B is incorrect because network ACLs are stateless and not suitable for this requirement; also, installing certificates via ACM on instances is not straightforward. Option C is incorrect because S3 VPC endpoint is for S3 access, not for encrypting ALB-to-instance traffic.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Review target Group Protocol, then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Target Group Protocol
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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